CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY: All Souls Day is
a day to remember and observe by visiting departed loved ones in the cemetery,
but many have chose to forget, at the slightest, reports DxRU-Radyo Ultra.
“Nagkatibulaag nga mga bukog ug daw
sa na-‘double dead’ na ang ubang mga patay sa public cemetery diin hangtod
karon pakyas pang mahinloan ug mabisitahan sa mga tagtungod ning siyudad,” the
radio reports.
All Soul's Day is a Catholic
tradition when the faithful gives time to remember and pray for the soul of
their dead family member. It is officially celebrated on November 2.
This early, Bobong Sambas, one of the
overseers of the City Memorial Park, said that it’s also best for many Cagay-anons
to prepare for the day or perhaps repaint or polish the tombstone of their dead
and trim the all grown grass on the graveyards at the Bolonsiri Public Cemetery
in Camaman-an.
Sambas added that since 1982, some
of the tombs at the public cemetery here were either cracked, unattended; others
were even looted that only bones of unknown departed were left.
As this developed, City Public
Services Office (CPSO) administrators said they have problems now with the cemetery
as they grapple with the rising population of the dead and shortage of burial
plots.
“Ayum-ayuman na lamang ang luna nga
pagalubngan sa mga patay karong panahona sa Bolonsiri Public Cemetery,” DxRU continues
with its report.
Roldan Prito, who was interviewed
in behalf of the CPSO, said the public burial ground has only a few spaces left
some newly interred dead were placed along the steep lanes.
The CPSO declined to say what other
desires they have, either to replace the old graves by new ones or purchase a
new territory for use which the city government still has to pronounce if it
has the money to pay for.
For now, the flowers and candles being
offered for the dead goes with lighting of candles and offering a prayer as an
expression of grief for this existing problem.