CEBU, Philippines — Members of the Cebu City Council posed no objection to the move to establish a cemetery for victims of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in an upland barangay.
The council, however, said the project should fully comply with national and local laws, and other regulations.
Councilor Phillip Zafra sponsored a resolution regarding the matter, which was approved by the council during a special session last Friday.
“This laudable measure is urgent, essential, and necessary in order to strongly prepare and strategically position the City of Cebu towards a holistic yet realistic approach to confront the COVID-19 pandemic in all fronts,” said Zafra in his resolution.
“The Cebu City Council, across party lines, concludes to urgently act on this measure while maintaining and preserving the individual member’s right and duty to highlight the city’s obligation to comply with all the laws, rules, and regulations in relation to or in connection with the establishment of a public cemetery,” he explained.
The city government proposes to establish a public cemetery at Sitio Patayng Yuta, Baksan in Barangay Sapangdaku.
The city residents will be free to use the cemetery, which covers an area of two hectares.
Zafra said the cemetery is intended to be the final resting place of those who lost their lives to COVID-19.
Earlier, Councilor David Tumulak proposed an ordinance entitled “An Ordinance Establishing the Cebu City Memorial Garden for COVID-19 Victims, Setting Initial Guidelines for its Operation and Providing Funds Therefore,” which is now pending at the council.
The proposed ordinance, among other features, calls for the creation of a technical working group to ensure the city complies with the required clearances and permits for the establishment of the cemetery.
The committee is tasked to oversee the development and management of the project to ensure the city’s interests are protected and upheld.
“With the unprecedented rise of death due to COVID-19 pandemic and the urgency to bury the human remains, the public cemeteries are now at full capacity and the private cemeteries are costly while the private crematorium facilities can no longer accommodate timely and dignified service to the victims,” said Zafra.
“This unparalleled crisis, with no end in sight in a foreseeable future known in modern history, will bring the Cebu City’s overall government healthcare infrastructure to the brink of disarray if no immediate intervention related to the disposal of human remains will be in place,” he added.
Another resolution
The council also approved another resolution sponsored by Zafra authorizing Mayor Edgardo Labella, on behalf of the city, to apply for a reclassification of the area to a manner that would allow the city to use it for the cemetery’s establishment.
Council members likewise requested the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to approve with urgency the city’s application for the Special Land Use Permit and the Forest Land Use Agreement.
They also requested DENR to waive rental, fees and bonds in favor of the city government associated with the issuance of such required permits and agreement.
Based on the Department of Health-7 Official Facebook Page, as of July 17, 2020, Cebu City’s total COVID-19 death toll is at 408.
The data also showed that Central Visayas has confirmed COVID-19 cases of 13,172. Of this number, 7,910 cases are from Cebu City, with 3,166 active cases and 4,336 recoveries.
The city government earlier abandoned its plan to build a public cemetery in the upland barangay of Guba after it was met with condemnation from several environmental advocates for supposedly violating existing laws. LPM (FREEMAN)
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