THE CHAMBER of Real Estate Builders Association (CREBA) said the real estate industry in the city has ventured into investing in memorial parks.
During the HUKAD Business Forum on April 11, CREBA chairman Diosdado Mahipus Sr. said there is a shortage of burial grounds in the city, hence the need to develop more.
“There are more than 10,000 deaths in the city yearly, but there is a low density of memorial parks, if you go to the public cemeteries, puno na,” Mahipus said.
He reported there are four applicants for memorial park development in light of the requirement of putting up more burial grounds in the city.
These include Oasis, based in Langub in the Magtuod area; one in Mintal and one in Toril, which he refused to name the developer.
He noted that developing memorial parks has no classification in the City Land Use Plan, so it can be developed anywhere.
“Only you have to apply for a special land use because this is supposed to be for special use. If you want to use an agricultural or residential zone, you apply,” he said.
He added that the private sector is venturing in this area as the city government has no additional cemetery projects due to lack of land availability.
At present, the city has 14 private cemeteries and 10 public cemeteries.
During the second reading of the General Fund Annual Budget and plantilla for 2025, a total of P9,160,654.00 was allocated for the operation of cemeteries from the P160 million appropriation for economic enterprises.
Councilor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz said they considered expanding the cemeteries since the existing memorial parks are already “packed.”
