Iloilo city: The Iloilo City government has earmarked PHP5 million for the first phase of the rehabilitation of the Tanza Public Cemetery this year, a project aimed at increasing burial capacity under the city's "from womb to tomb" program. The initiative focuses on Lot 8A of the cemetery in Barangay Tanza Timawa Zone II, where efforts will include the exhumation and transfer of remains to bone boxes, fabrication of niche slabs and covers, and the sealing of bone boxes and niches.

According to Philippines News Agency, data from the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) revealed that 364 niches will be affected by the project. Of these, 361 have been occupied for at least seven years, while three have been in use for six years or less. The city plans to construct 200 apartment-type niches to replace the old structures, providing additional burial spaces in a safer and more organized cemetery.

Mayor's Office spokesperson Joy Gorzal stated that families will be invited to witness the exhumation of their relatives' remains. "CENRO has already posted an advisory and explained to the affected families that they will be called to witness the exhumation," she said.

CENRO provided background information, noting that the Tanza Public Cemetery serves as one of the city's primary burial grounds, particularly for underprivileged residents. However, several niches in Lot 8A are in severely dilapidated and unsafe condition, with some structures having collapsed and posing hazards to the public.

The rehabilitation project aims to eliminate these safety hazards while increasing the cemetery's burial capacity, CENRO added. The city government also plans to rehabilitate two other public cemeteries in Barangay Quintin Salas in Jaro District and Barangay Jereos in La Paz District.