NEGOTIATIONS are under way for a new public cemetery in Mandaue City as the existing one nears full capacity.
This is bad news to relatives of 74-year-old Felicisimo Mendoza who died of high blood pressure last Saturday. They are asking the city officials to spare them space for his remains.
Mendoza’s daughter Mary Ann said they want their father to be buried in Mandaue City so they can visit his grave. The family lives in barangay Maguikay, Mandaue City.
City Administrator James Abadia told reporters that they have considered two locations in the city as a replacement for the existing public cemetery.
He said they are evaluating the terrain of both sites and their prices.
Abadia said the city wants to develop the prospective area with vertical tombs to save on space and are consulting affected communities.
“Some residents may have issues about health concerns,” he said.
Abadia said the public cemetery has a small space left for new graves.
The city has discouraged burials on weekends to avoid traffic congestion.
The city administrator said the city government can purchase a property by applying the principle of eminent domain, which expedites negotiations due to the public need for a new cemetery. Reporter Jucell Marie P. Cuyos