ILOILO City – The city government will assess if the Muslim cemetery in Barangay Tabuc Suba can still be rehabilitated.
“I am aware that our Muslim brothers have no burial place here,” said Mayor Jose Espinosa III.
They have to go to the town of Sara in Iloilo’s 5th District to bury their dead, he added.
The old cemetery is no longer used as it gets flooded every time it rains.
“They have a tradition that they have to bury their dead within 24 hours after death. But Sara is far,” said Espinosa.
Sara is 98 kilometers north of Iloilo City.
The mayor said the possible rehabilitation of the old cemetery will be one of his priorities because the city hosts a big Muslim community.
“We have a big Muslim community here scattered all around and they are peace-loving residents of Iloilo doing business side-by-side with us, helping us in community building,” he said.
As of last year, the Iloilo United Muslims Communities Inc. has more or less 2,000 population composed of Maranao, Tausug, Maguindanao, and Balik Islam residing in Molo, La Paz and Jaro districts.
Espinosa extended his greetings to the Muslim community as they celebrated the Eid’l Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) on Tuesday.
The celebration of the Eid’l Adha was declared as a regular holiday in the Philippines as recommended by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos. (PNA)
