Vol. XXII, No. 70 [ BusinessWorld Online ]
Friday, October 31, 2008 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES
DAVAO CITY — A shortage of space has cut revenue collection in nine city-managed cemeteries this year over last year.
Francisco V. Vales Jr., chief of the Davao City Economic Enterprise, said public cemeteries’ total income was down to P879,120 as of September from P1.21 million year-on-year as they had to reject applications from kins of poor families to bury their dead due to overcrowding.
The only revenue-generating public cemetery in Tibungco village, 17 kilometers south of the city, is full. The cemetery uses perimeter niches that are leased for P8,000 for the ground level.
"Now the only space we have in the public cemeteries are the grave spaces at P2,000 for adults and P1,000 for children" Mr. Vales said.
He said overcrowding has slowed down revenues of the city enterprise after a collection record of P1.583 million in 2007 on strict bookkeeping, rationalization of spaces and accounting of caretakers’ performance.
The economic enterprise suggested the rehabilitation of all nine public cemeteries, starting with the Wireless Cemetery at the city proper. This will follow the lead of Tagum City which transformed its public cemetery into a modern memorial park. The undertaking, however, is costly.
"The Tagum public cemetery spent P10 million per hectare," Mr. Vales said.
The city’s Lubogan public cemetery alone is about seven hectares, while the Wireless Cemetery is only about two hectares.
Tagum Mayor Rey T. Uy started the rehabilitation and development of the La Filipina Cemetery in 2005, refusing any new applications for burials while exhuming and relocating the bones of remains without claimants despite opposition from several sectors.
Mr. Vales said the city’s economic enterprise office has also asked for a P2-million budget to open a new public cemetery in Tagakpan village, Tugbok district, an hour’s drive from the city proper, but the proposal is still sitting at the city development planning office. — Joel B. Escovilla
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