Heirs claim ownership of CDO cemeteries

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Heirs of a family claiming ownership of a 14,000-square-meter property occupied by public and private cemeteries in Barangay Bulua briefly barricaded the entrance to the disputed area Saturday, Oct. 31.

Third-generation heirs of the Boniao family installed streamers declaring Eternal Garden and Bulua Public Cemetery private properties allegedly owned by their deceased relatives.

Francis Boniao, one of the claimants, said the family erected the barricade Saturday morning to assert its ownership claim.

The heirs also presented documents, including a subdivision plan, which they said supported their claim to the properties.

Barangay Captain Al Legaspi Jr. intervened and assured the claimants that the dispute would be addressed through proper channels.

Legaspi also assured residents that they could continue visiting their departed loved ones despite the ownership dispute.

He said the city government and Eternal Garden management were willing to resolve the matter through the appropriate legal process.

Security tightened for Undas

Meanwhile, Cagayan de Oro City Police Office spokesperson Maj. Emelita Simon said police personnel had been deployed to public and private cemeteries ahead of Undas.

Private security guards were also stationed at memorial parks to screen visitors and maintain order.

Police were deployed to the city's 19.8-hectare Bolonsiri Public Cemetery in Barangay Camaman-an, where the local government also provided free transportation for visitors.

Authorities imposed a curfew, liquor ban and restrictions on bladed weapons. Cemeteries and memorial parks were also declared no-smoking zones during the observance of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.

The Bolonsiri cemetery, recently redeveloped into the City Memorial Park, remains the city's largest burial ground, holding an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 remains.

Thousands of remains have been exhumed and transferred to a centralized ossuary as part of the redevelopment.

The city's five private memorial parks, which collectively contain an estimated 35,000 graves, are also expected to draw large crowds during Undas.

Older public cemeteries face severe congestion, prompting authorities to tighten crowd management measures.

Bulua Public Cemetery contains more than 10,000 graves within a three-hectare property, while Carmen Public Cemetery accommodates about 5,000 interments on two hectares.