CAGAYAN de Oro City Councilor Teodulfo Lao wants to close down the city public cemetery in Bolonsori, Camaman-an and build two apartment-type memorial gardens, one each for the city’s two districts.
After visiting the city cemetery Monday, October 31, Lao said it is high time for the city to look for new sites.
"Puno na kaayo ang sementeryo sa Bolonsori, kinahanglan na nga mangita og lain and himoon nga apartment-type (Bolonsori cemetery is full so we need to find another one and make it an apartment-type)," Lao said.
Lao said to save on real estate, the city should think about putting up an apartment-type cemetery similar to those already in use in other cities.
Lao said to save on space, tombs can be stacked five levels high and piled by rows.
"Para dili magpareha sa Bolonsori nga piot na kaayo, hangtod five levels lang ang pagpatong-patong sa mga nitso and abay-abay pareha sa Manila," Lao added.
The city can build two of these, one for each district to make it accessible, instead of having to bury all their departed in one public cemetery as is being done at present.
Apartment-type tombs are also more practical than constructing columbariums to house the ashes of cremated remains.
Cremation continues to be an expensive alternative for families of the departed.
Lao said the city is also in need of bigger public cemeteries as its population is increasing and the present city-run cemetery is already full.
According to the management of the 19.8 hectare city memorial park, around 200,000 dead have been buried at Bolonsori since 1982.
The councilor will deliver a special report during the City Council's next regular session and pose this as an urgent and priority issue for the body to deliberate on.
Lao said the City Council can explore the possibility of transferring the public cemetery since the 2017 annual budget is still up for deliberation.
"Kinahanglan nani mahisgutan sa City Council ilabi na kay maghisgot na kami sa budget for 2017," Lao said.