The city government of Navotas facilitated a benchmarking activity of NavoHimlayan Crematorium, Columbarium, and Funeral Chapel for the City Government of Valenzuela.
Mayor John Rey Tiangco welcomed Valenzuela Mayor Weslie Gatchalian, together with his Chief of Staff, Architect Benjamin Gamaro; City Engineering Officer, Engr. Rey Sunga; City Health representative, Dr. Marilyn Liwanag; and City Social Welfare and Development representative, Marilou Capacillo.
The three-year-old NavoHimlayan was established to address the issues of congestion and lack of space in the city's public cemetery.
It also offers free funeral services to indigent Navoteños.
In his message, Tiangco said the NavoHimlayan was the realization of the promise of the city government that it will take care of Navoteños from womb to tomb.
"Death of a loved one is never easy. Aside from the pain of saying goodbye, there is the concern of funeral and burial costs. We want to take away this burden and help indigent grieving families," Tiangco said.
Since 2008, the city government has been offering Libreng Libing services to poor constituents.
Included in the program are free casket, burial set-up, cremation, urn with nameplate, and use of columbarium vaults.
If the deceased is COVID-positive, free storage of the body and pick-up services are also covered.
Gatchalian, on the other hand, expressed his high regard for the project and his desire to build the same for Valenzuela.
"Though it is not often discussed, the limited space for cemeteries in urban cities like ours is a recurrent problem. We cannot prevent death so we need to solve the issue of cemetery congestion to better serve our people," he said.
"We were told that if we want to build a crematorium in Valenzuela, we need to visit Navotas because you have one of the best facilities in Metro Manila and your services are considered exemplary," he added.
NavoHimlayan provides cremation services, and columbarium and funeral chapel rentals.
The city columbarium has 3,632 vaults and can accommodate up to 19,000 urns.
Navoteños who can afford the services of NavoHimlayan may lease a columbarium niche for 25 years.
Since December 2019, Navotas has completed 2,256 cremations. Of this, 1,919 have been subsidized.
