CALOOCAN Mayor Dale Gonzalo Malapitan led key city officials in opening to the public the city's columbarium and crematorium, a local government infrastructure project in Barangay 178 and Barangay 187.
Designed to provide residents with dignified, proper services to honor departed loved ones, the project ranks among the mayor’s priority infrastructure initiatives. Construction commenced during the early years of his administration.
In addition to cremation services and vault rentals, the facility offers urn storage, four funeral halls, a lawn crypt, a chapel, and both indoor and outdoor cinerariums — giving citizens a range of options for respectfully remembering their deceased loved ones.
"The welfare of ‘Batang Kankaloo’ (Caloocan Kid) has always been a priority of our city government. We want to ease their burdens, especially during times of grief, by providing affordable services for their departed loved ones," Malapitan said.
"Our fellow citizens can rest assured that we at the local government will stand with them in every stage of life," the mayor added.
In related development, Malapitan told The Manila Times that he inspected the Tala and Bagbaguin Cemeteries as part of the city's preparations for the upcoming observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, locally and collectively called Undas.
Among the new systems being implemented at Tala Cemetery is the use of Gates 1, 2, and 3 as entry and exit points for visitors, along with the inspection of their belongings.
Meanwhile, the last day for burials is Oct. 28, while cleaning of graves will only be permitted until Oct. 29.
An estimated 150,000 to 200,000 visitors are expected to flock to Tala Cemetery while around 50,000 to 60,000 are expected to visit Bagbaguin Cemetery.
The son of former long-time mayor and now District 1 Rep. Oscar Malapitan encouraged city residents visiting their departed loved ones to maintain cleanliness within the cemeteries and follow the guidelines the city government issued for Undas.