Ahong wants to expand Olango cemetery, to cater to other faiths

LAPU-LAPU City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan plans to expand the public cemetery in Olango Island to cater to burials from different faiths.Chan said he decided to expand the Olango Public Cemetery to at least 10 hectares as a way to address the lack of burial spaces on the mainland now that the Humay-Humay Public Cemetery in Barangay Gun-ob on the mainland has already reached its full capacity.Chan said the City has so far acquired about two hectares of land for the Olango Public Cemetery, adding they have already started constructing some tombs.He said the public cemetery in Olango will be opened not only for Catholic burials but also for other faiths as well.Chan noted that many of his constituents could not afford to bury their loved ones in private cemeteries due to the high cost.In response, Chan said there are about 300 tombs constructed at the municipal cemetery in Tugas in Barangay Gun-ob, of which 100 were already utilized.The construction is ongoing phase by phase. The tombs will be used by those residing in mainland Lapu-Lapu City.During his speech at the inaugural session of the 16th Sangguniang Panlungsod on July 7, 2022, Chan announced the lot expropriation for the expansion of the New Olango cemetery as part of his agenda during his second term as local chief executive, although they are yet to allocate funds for the project.