The Lapu-Lapu City Government will exhume 791 remains (721 adults and 70 infants) buried for five years or more at the municipal cemetery in Barangay Gun-ob on Nov. 15, 2026.
The mass exhumation aims to clear space for future burials, following a similar 2024 initiative that relocated over 4,000 remains to build apartment-style tombs at Humay-Humay Catholic Cemetery.
Families have until Dec. 14 to coordinate with the City Health Office to claim their loved ones, after which any unclaimed remains will be transferred to a common bone chamber.
THE Lapu-Lapu City Government will exhume 791 sets of human remains from the municipal cemetery in Sitio Tugas, Barangay Gun-ob on Nov. 15, 2026. The operation aims to address space shortages and create room for future burials.
According to the City Information Office, the 791 remains slated for exhumation consist of 721 adults and 70 infants.
“Ang kagamhanan sa Dakbayan sa Lapu-Lapu mougkat sa mga patayng lawas nga gilubong sa municipal cemetery…Kini nunot sa tinguha nga mahatagan og luna kadtong magpalubong sa umaabot,” the official advisory reads.
(The Lapu-Lapu City Government will exhume the remains buried in the municipal cemetery. This is intended to make space for future burials.)
This is not the first time the city has taken steps to solve cemetery overcrowding. The policy applies to remains that have been buried for five years or longer. In 2024, authorities moved over 4,000 sets of remains from the Humay-Humay Catholic Cemetery in Barangay Gun-ob to build apartment-style tombs.
City authorities are urging families with relatives buried at the municipal cemetery to coordinate with officials regarding the schedule and handling of the remains.
Families can contact Sanitary Inspector Contact: Benjie Celera at 0932-973-0753, the City Health Office Contact at 032-340-5339
Families have until Dec. 14, 2026, to claim the remains or arrange proper handling. Any remains left unclaimed after the deadline will be transferred to the cemetery's common bone chamber following standard procedures. /DPC