THE Iloilo City Government has allocated P5 million for the Phase I rehabilitation of Tanza Public Cemetery as part of its continuing efforts to upgrade public cemeteries and provide dignified burial facilities for Ilonggo families.
Mayor Raisa Treñas emphasized that as part of the City Government's commitment to caring for residents "from womb to tomb," its responsibility goes beyond serving residents during their lifetime and also includes providing them with a dignified final resting place.
The initiative builds on the City's efforts launched last year to improve the quality of free caskets provided to indigent families through the Iloilo City Government.
This year, the P5-million allocation will fund the construction of 200 apartment-type niches, increasing the capacity of Tanza Public Cemetery and helping address the growing need for affordable and decent burial spaces.
"We want to increase the number of niches at Tanza Cemetery because we know that many families are not financially prepared for the final resting place of their loved ones. We want them to know that the Iloilo City Government is here to support them. We are preparing these facilities so that every Ilonggo has somewhere to turn to because this administration is committed to taking care of everyone," Treñas said.
The rehabilitation project also includes the exhumation of remains and the demolition of old, dilapidated, and unsafe structures to make way for the construction of the new apartment-type niches.
Treñas said the Tanza Public Cemetery project is only the first phase of the City's broader initiative to rehabilitate public cemeteries, with Quintin Salas Public Cemetery and Jereos Public Cemetery next in line for improvement. (PR)