EVISNet Local News

TACLOBAN CITY – The City Government of Tacloban through the City Health Office has again reiterated its order prohibiting the use of the old city cemetery located at El Reposo Street this city, for internment purposes.

Reports have it that despite the closure notice issued to this effect in 2002 by the city government, still some residents prefer to bury their dead kin at this land cemetery site, albeit the new burial location now operational at Basper Heights, a few kilometers north of this city.

Pointing to the said internment ban, City Health Officer Dr. Jaime Opinion explained, that it has been the local government’s plan to gradually phase-out the said internment site, as it now had become an eye sore and a risk likewise to the health of nearby residents, it being located almost center of the metropolis.

On this he clarified that “it is very risky to have a cemetery in the midst of inhabitants, for we know already that places like these could be a source of infectious disease outbreak, which may come from the corpses who died from high risk ailments”, Opinion said.

“We don’t want to put the lives of our constituents at risk more importantly now that we have heard of these dreaded diseases such as SARS, Avian Flu, Meningo-coccemia and others”, he said.

Estimated to be five years now since that closure notice was issued in 2002, Dr. Opinion has deemed it proper this time to enjoin residents who have relatives buried at this old cemetery to transfer the skeletal remains of their loved ones, should they think it had already been decomposed, he added.

Hinting on the phase-out Opinion said, this old cemetery location might soon be developed by the city government for some other purpose.

Meanwhile, Opinion also disclosed that of this moment the city is collecting only the minimal amount of ten pesos burial fee, for every internment at Basper Cemetery and this is because the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Tacloban has not yet passed a legislation determining the appropriate charge for the same.