Basilan solon wants creation of Muslim public cemetery in all cities, towns

FILE PHOTO: Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — A proposal to put up a Muslim public cemetery for every local government unit (LGU) has been filed before the House of Representatives, citing the need to establish a final resting place for Muslims who adhere to Islamic beliefs, customs, and traditions.

Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman said in a statement on Thursday that access to proper burial grounds for Muslim Filipinos is still hard to come by in the country, despite a high percentage of the population having Islam as a religion.

These accessibility problems, Hataman said, only “compounds grieving” as deceased Muslims need to be laid to rest within 24 hours after passing — which is why he filed House Bill No. 3755 on Wednesday.

“Sa aming pananampalataya, kailangang mailibing ang pumanaw sa loob ng 24 oras. Grabeng hirap ang pinagdadaanan ng mga pamilya dahil dito, lalo na kung wala o malayo ang Muslim cemetery sa kanilang lugar.  Kadalasan ay bumabiyahe pa nang malayo para lamang mailibing ang kanilang mahal sa buhay,” Hataman said.

(In our faith, there is a need to bury the dead within 24 hours.  Families encounter a lot of difficulty because of this, especially if the nearest Muslim cemetery is actually far from their residence.  Often, people even make long and sudden trips just to bury their beloved relatives.)

“Nagdadalamhati ka na sa pagkawala ng kaanak mo, dagdag na pabigat pa sa nararamdaman ang suliraning dulot kung saan sila ihihimlay. Nais nating baguhin ito sa ating panukala para magkaroon ng himlayan ang mga Muslim sa mga lungsod o munisipalidad kung saan sila naninirahan,” he added.

(You are already grieving the death of your relative, but an additional burden is brought by concerns about where you can bury him or her.  We want to change this through our proposal that Muslims have a resting place within the cities and municipalities they live in.)

If Hataman’s bill is enacted, cities and municipalities inside the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) must set aside two hectares of land to create a public cemetery for Muslims.

Meanwhile, component cities or LGUs inside Metro Manila will be asked to allocate a minimum of 3,000 square meters of land for the same purpose.  Due to space constraints in the National Capital Region, LGUs are allowed to procure a space outside of the region but one that is still accessible for its residents.

For cities and municipalities outside of Metro Manila and BARMM, which has a population of over 1,000 Filipino Muslims, a minimum of 5,000 square meters of land would be set aside for the Muslim public cemetery.

Fees and charges that may be imposed on the relatives of deceased Muslims provided that he or she is indigent, would be waived and shouldered by the LGU.

Hataman said the bill is necessary as the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) data showed that there are currently 12.7 million Muslim Filipinos in the country, with each region being hosts to hundreds of thousands except for the Cordillera Administrative Region.

Most cemeteries for Muslims in Metro Manila are already congested, the lawmaker said, which is why they are lauding the City of Manila’s decision to open a Muslim Cemetery and Cultural Hall.

“Dito lang sa Metro Manila kung saan lagpas kalahating milyon ang mga Muslim, congested na ang Taguig Muslim Cemetery. Kaya pinupuri natin ang pagbubukas ng Muslim Cemetery and Cultural Hall sa Maynila at sa mga karatig na sementeryo tulad ng Norzagaray Muslim Cemetery sa Bulacan at Montalban Islamic Cemetery sa Rizal,” Hataman said.

(Just here in Metro Manila, where over half a million residents are Muslims, cemeteries like the Taguig Muslim Cemetery are already congested.  That’s why we laud the efforts of Manila to open a Muslim Cemetery and Cultural Hall and the other cemeteries like the Norzagaray Muslim Cemetery in Bulacan and the Montalban Islamic Cemetery in Rizal.)

READ: Manila opens Islamic cemetery, cultural hall inside public cemetery | Cebu City builds Muslim cemetery 

Still, Hataman said it would be better if each LGU had a proper burial site for Filipino Muslims.

“Pero mas mainam pa rin na mayroong sementeryo sa lahat ng lungsod at munisipalidad dahil mga residente rin naman sila ng mga ito. Constituents sila ng mga serbisyo ng LGU at marapat lamang na magkaroon sila ng lugar na paghihimlayan ng kanilang mga kaanak,” he added.

(But still, it would be better if there is a Muslim cemetery in each city and municipality because they are residents of that area.  They are constituents of the LGU, and it is only right that they get the LGU’s services, like having a final resting place for dead relatives.)

JPV/abc