BACOLOD City — The Bacolod City Government will transfer the remains of 454 individuals from the Bacolod North Public Cemetery, also known as Burgos Cemetery, to a bone vault at the Handumanan Public Cemetery in Barangay Handumanan as part of its cemetery decongestion and management program.
The city has appealed to families whose deceased relatives are included in the list of affected graves to coordinate with the local government before the transfer is carried out.
Secretary to the Mayor Atty. Marty Go said the city will prioritize the exhumation of remains from graves located near the perimeter fence of Burgos Cemetery before transferring them to the designated bone vault at Handumanan Public Cemetery.
Go said the initiative aims to decongest and rehabilitate Burgos Cemetery while ensuring the orderly management of the city’s public cemeteries.
The city earlier posted an advisory on its official G-Serve Bacolod social media page informing families of the planned transfer.
The advisory covers graves that have deteriorated and whose occupants have been buried for more than 10 years, making them eligible for exhumation under existing cemetery regulations.
According to Go, the online advisory was intended to reach as many affected families as possible before the transfer begins.
The General Services Office (GSO) said the move forms part of the city’s continuing efforts to properly manage and maintain its public cemeteries.
Families whose loved ones are included in the published list are advised to visit the Public Affairs and Assistance Division (PAAD) on the third floor of the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) to receive detailed information and complete the necessary requirements related to the transfer.
The city also encouraged members of the public who recognize names on the published list to help inform the affected families so they can take the necessary steps before the scheduled transfer.
City officials emphasized that the initiative seeks to improve cemetery management while creating additional burial spaces for future use.
Earlier, City Administrator Atty. Mark Steven Mayo said the city will also transfer several remains from older burial niches at Handumanan Public Cemetery to the bone vault as part of the same program.
Officials acknowledged that the city’s public cemeteries have reached a critical level of capacity, prompting the local government to implement long-term measures to maximize available burial space and improve accessibility within the cemeteries.
Meanwhile, the city government is processing the acquisition of a property adjacent to Handumanan Public Cemetery to accommodate its planned expansion./PN
