CIMATU ASSURES ‘SAFE‘ CEMETERY

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary and COVID-19 Cebu overseer Roy Cimatu assured that the construction of the new public cemetery in Sitios Patayng Yuta and Baksan in Barangay Sapangdaku will meet the highest health and safety standards.

While the cemetery is being built to address the shortage of cemeteries given the growing number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) fatalities in the city, Cimatu vowed that the public should not fear the effect it will have on the area which is undeveloped and full of trees.

“We have to ensure the development of roads leading up to here. There are trees here in the area, most of them mango trees. If the city can find a way to minimize the cutting of trees, the better,” Cimatu said.

He added that the two-hectare proposed burial site is outside of the city’s protected area and is far from residential areas.

“Out of all the sites we looked at, this is the best one,” Cimatu said.

For his part, Cebu Task Force on COVID-19 deputy chief implementer MGen. Melquiades Feliciano was thankful to the City Council and residents of Barangay Sapangdaku for approving the construction of the cemetery in the area.

“The IATF-EID (Inter-Agency Task Force for the management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) is grateful for the help and cooperation of the Sapangdaku residents and the City Council. This is an urgent undertaking that directly addresses Cebu City’s public health and safety,” Feliciano said.

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF IATF-EID ENVIRONMENT Secretary Roy Cimatu visited the proposed site for the COVID-19 cemetery in Sitios Patayng Yuta and Baksan of the upland village of Sapangdaku on Monday, wherein he assured city residents that the new site will meet the highest safety and health standards.