Cemetery not spared from natural calamity

KIDAPAWAN CITY—Even the dead are not spared from the devastation of natural calamities.

Tombs in a public cemetery in the village of Binologan here are being threatened of being washed away due to gradual soil erosion.

“The loosening of soil due to heavy downpour caused the soil erosion,” said George dela Cruz, caretaker of the cemetery. It has created a 30-meter ravine on the rear of the cemetery, he said.

Close to 30 tombs need to be transferred from the area already reached by soil erosion.

Shanty-like structures which serve as protection from sun and rain have collapsed following the series of earthquakes over the past months, Dela Cruz said.

Mayor Joseph Evangelista has sent workers from the engineering department to look into the problem.

Another public cemetery on Bautista Street has a different situation: It is being used as haven for drug addicts.

Some teenagers engage in pot sessions inside the cemetery, residents said.