Honoring the Dear Departed M’LANG TOWN UNDERTAKES P40-M IMPROVEMENT OF PUBLIC CEMETERY

By Manny Pinol

“We honor the dead

And wonder where we were

Protecting them from dread

To precious life concur…” – Ken Fitzgibbons

Finding the tombs of relatives in the old M’lang Cemetery has always proved to be an agonizing task during All Soul’s Day.

It is a virtual maze of concrete burial areas, some of which have not even been visited by relatives and friends.

A year from now though, relatives who would like to pay their respects and pray for the souls of their dear departed no longer have to go through the agonizing experience of trying to find their tombs.

Under the leadership of my younger brother, Mayor Lito Pinol, the M’lang municipal government has started the development of a modern, well-arranged and clean public cemetery.

At the entrance of the cemetery relatives will only have to locate the names of their relatives and color guides and numbers will lead them to the burial compartments where the remains of their relatives will be kept.

Yesterday, when I joined the family and friends of a departed leader, former Tawantawan Barangay chairman Federico “Oting” Gil in bringing him to his final resting place, I was pleasantly surprised by the great improvements in the public cemetery.

The burial compartments which are large enough to accommodate coffins are well-arranged in a three-tiered concrete burial structure.

Near the concrete burial compartments, another concrete structure with smaller spaces will be used in keeping the remains of those who were buried in the old cemetery.

In the center of the concrete burial structures, Mayor Pinol said that a resting area and an ecumenical prayer building will be constructed.

“We are even looking at putting up a playground for kids so that the trip to the cemetery will no longer be just a somber event but a memorable one for those who would like to remember and honor their departed ones,” he said.

Mayor Pinol told me that the continuing project which was started three years ago will entail a budget of about P40-m.

After the completion of the new public cemetery, the municipal government will work on the establishment of an Islamic Cemetery, the first to be established in North Cotabato.

“We are now looking for an area in Barangay Dungguan for the Islamic Cemetery,” Mayor Pinol said.