THE CITY Council has proposed a one-time fee for burial slots in the Muslim Cemetery inside the Tagakpan Cemetery, doing away with annual charges to ease the burden on families.
The ordinance was passed on second reading last Tuesday, November 3, by proponent Councilor Ragde Ibuyan, committee chair on government enterprises and privatization.
“It was meant to be the lowest amount that could still sustain cemetery operations, including maintenance, landscaping, and materials,” Ibuyan told reporters during a sideline interview, noting the rate was set after a study and a public hearing.
The committee finalized the fees at the lowest end of the range proposed by the City Economic Enterprises (CEE): P7,000 for the Type A lot, intended for children, measuring 4 to 5 feet by 2 to 2.5 feet; and P15,000 for the Type B lot, measuring 7 feet by 3 feet.
Unlike the city’s regular cemeteries, which offer six-year leases, lots at the Muslim cemetery will be granted in perpetuity, in keeping with Islamic tradition, where there will be no exhumation, transfer, or disturbance of remains, and no annual renewal fee.
Instead of a lease, the city will issue a contract granting the right of interment, or burial right, but ownership of the lots remains with the city government.
By computation, the rate is about 60 percent cheaper than those charged by private cemeteries the city surveyed, as also confirmed by the City Muslim Affairs Office.
Compared to the city’s revenue code, families of the departed pay an initial fee, followed by an annual fee of P200 starting after the sixth year.
The CEE will help families seek assistance, coordinating with the City Social Welfare and Development Office and other agencies so that families do not shoulder the cost alone.
The official said there are more than 230 adult slots and more than 70 child slots available.
The fees are expected to generate P4.45 million, which cannot recover the project cost, which reached P7,332,722.95, but the committee said the fees were set in “the spirit of public service,” with the proceeds also helping fund future Muslim cemeteries.
CEE Manager Macky Macalipes said construction began in May 2025 and is 87 percent complete. The project was funded through the 2022 Annual Development Plan Supplemental Budget 2 and includes a prayer building, pathways and a main entrance.
Macolipos told the committee that the ordinance establishes a culturally appropriate, legally compliant, and sustainable burial system to ensure Muslim customs are observed.
The city also plans to rehabilitate the Maa Muslim Cemetery under the 2027 annual budget, expected to be approved in the next few weeks. The rehabilitation will enlarge the area set aside for Muslim burials.
This includes funds to address drainage, roads, and beautification at the Maa, Panacan, and Tibungco cemeteries.
In terms of the shortage of Muslim burial space, Ibuyan said the city will also look for additional land in the Second District, which has a large Muslim population, to be developed as another Muslim cemetery.
The official added that the city plans to finalize next month an ordinance granting a 20 percent discount to departed senior citizens and PWD in the cemetery slots.
