CHURCH officials have revised the expansion plan for the Humay-Humay Catholic Cemetery in Barangay Gun-ob, Lapu-Lapu City, to minimize impact on existing trees following an ocular inspection.
Fr. Benido Tumol, MSC, parish priest and rector of the Virgen de la Regla National Shrine, confirmed in an interview that the Oct. 31, 2025, inspection prompted changes to the design of the planned niches.
“Binago na nung architect yung plano na kailangan laktawan ang ating mga punong kahoy para as much as possible walang mapuputol na kahoy dahil sa ating advocacy na Laudato Si for environment,” said Fr. Tumol.
(The architect has already revised the plan so that we can avoid our trees as much as possible, ensuring that none will be cut because of our Laudato Si environmental advocacy.)
Laudato Si is a 2015 encyclical (official letter) by Pope Francis focused on caring for the environment. Its title means “Praise be to You” in Medieval Italian, taken from St. Francis of Assisi’s “Canticle of the Sun.”
The planned revision comes as the church moves forward with efforts to provide additional interment spaces for families who wish to lay their departed loved ones to rest within Lapu-Lapu City while preserving the existing shade trees, in line with the Church’s environmental commitments.
Fr. Tumol explained that the decision was made to prioritize the trees even as expansion plans move forward. The ocular inspection conducted in October was attended by the parish priests, the project architect, and the in-house engineer.
The parish priest said there are seven available sections in the cemetery that can be developed. As of October 2025, the Humay-Humay Catholic Cemetery serves as the final resting place for more than 12,000 individuals.
Church officials are waiting for the finalized plan, which is part of the requirements of the City Office of the Building Official for constructing a new burial area. Expansion work is expected to begin in early January 2026, with Phase 1 of the project set to include the construction of around 1,000 niches and bone chambers. / DPC