The Bacolod City government will rehabilitate the Handumanan Public Cemetery that is in a dismal state and find a new site for the disposal of medical waste, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said Monday, March 20.
The mayor, who inspected the cemetery Sunday night, said he wanted to see for himself what condition it is in and found it in a very poor state. “Its physical appearance speaks a lot how we treat our dead,” he said.
There are no lights and facilities at the cemetery, Benitez also noted.
A meeting was held Monday afternoon to discuss how to upgrade the cemetery, which has been neglected for a long time, he said.
The City Engineer’s Office will come up with a design for the improvement of the cemetery, which will include the construction of a bone vaults where those who have been buried for more than five years can be transferred, he said.
There is still room at the 3-hectare cemetery for burials.
He is just waiting for the CEO design so a budget can be allocated and work can start, Benitez said.
Benitez said he also found out that the medical waste of the City Health Office are being disposed of at the Handumanan cemetery.
“It is something that has to be stopped,” he said, adding that the city will establish a permanent area for the disposal of medical waste.*