• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Bacolod city government is eyeing to purchase the parcels of land adjacent to the public cemetery in Barangay Handumanan for P37,902,000.
The five parcels of land located in Barangay Cabug, with an aggregate area of 18,951 square meters and owned by Capitol Subdivision Inc., are intended for the expansion of the Handumanan public cemetery.
General Services Office head Gilda Lluisma, in her status report on the Handumanan cemetery, said that “based on the records we have, we can safely predict that the Handumanan Cemetery may be full in just a matter of time.”
She said that, per records, there are 54 burials a week, or about 216 in a month, excluding those unidentified persons and newborn or stillborn babies.
The 21,000 sqm cemetery has a capacity for five years cycle, wherein those buried in the body vaults are exhumed and transferred to bone vaults, so the niches vacated may be reused, Lluisma said, adding that around 6,000 are currently buried at the body vault.
“There is a need to buy lots that may be near the existing cemetery to accommodate those who would be burying their love ones, and also for future site developments in the area,” she added.
Mayor Greg Gasataya, meanwhile, has sought authority from the Sangguniang Panlungsod to sign the deed of absolute sale on the land acquisition.
Per the deed accepted for review by the SP Committee on Laws, Ordinances and Good Government during the Sept. 23 SP session, 50 percent of the total purchase price shall be paid by the city upon the signing of the deed, and the balance upon the registration of the sale and issuance of the corresponding certificates of title in the name of the city government of Bacolod, subject to the submission of all documents required for payment and transfer. | CGC
