02/06/2026
PUBLIC ADVISORY
TO: All Residents, Lot Lessees, and Stakeholders of the Balete Municipal Cemetery
SUBJECT: Urgent Guidelines on Vertical Extensions (Apartment-Type Tombs) and Cemetery Maintenance Amid Space Scarcity
DATE: June 2, 2026
As we prepare for the establishment and opening of our New Municipal Cemetery next year (2027), the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Balete is currently managing a critical space scarcity at our existing Municipal Cemetery.
To ensure that every family is given a dignified burial space for their departed loved ones during this transition period, the LGU has temporarily permitted the exhumation of remains (subject to sanitary permits) and the construction of vertical or apartment-type tombs within existing leased spaces.
While the LGU recognizes the right of lessees to maximize their designated vertical spaces to accommodate family members, this right must be exercised with absolute respect for adjacent structures, existing graves, and the rights of fellow grieving families.
To maintain order, structural safety, and public decency, the LGU hereby issues the following strict guidelines for all ongoing and future constructions at the Municipal Cemetery:
1. Preserving Structural Integrity and Access
• Zero Lateral Encroachment: Vertical extensions must be built strictly within the perimeter of the lessee’s designated lot.
• Unblocked Openings: No new construction or extension shall block, seal, cement over, or obstruct the opening, access slab, or structural clearance of adjacent or lower tombs. Families must retain full, unhindered access to their tombs for future interments, exhumations, or cleaning.
2. Respect for Gravestones and Markers
• No Defacement: It is strictly prohibited to deface, cover up, or damage existing gravestones, nameplates, or markers of adjacent tombs.
• Mandatory Restoration: If a prior agreement allows a vertical build that alters the view of an existing marker, the building party is legally and morally obligated to install a new, high-quality, and clearly visible marker for the affected party at their own expense, as agreed upon during consultations.
3. Mandatory Coordination and Permits
• Prior Dialogue Required: Before commencing any vertical construction, builders must consult and coordinate with the adjacent tomb lessees to ensure mutual understanding and prevent emotional distress.
• Engineering Clearance: All vertical tomb constructions must be cleared by the Municipal Engineering Office and the Cemetery Caketaker to guarantee that the structure will not cause nearby tombs to collapse or sustain damage.
• Aesthetic Finish: Builders must properly plaster and paint the back walls or sides of their new structures that face neighboring graves. Leaving raw, unfinished hollow blocks facing a loved one’s tomb is considered a sign of disrespect.
• Suspension of Fence and Mausoleum Construction: Considering the scarcity of space at the existing Municipal Cemetery, no construction of perimeter fences and mausoleums shall be allowed henceforth.
4. Enforcement and Conflict Resolution
Any ongoing construction found violating these guidelines, blocking existing tomb access, or breaching prior community agreements will be issued a Stop-Work Order by the Municipal Engineering Office.
Disputes regarding cemetery spaces should be brought directly to the Cemetery Caretaker or the Katarungang Pambarangay (Barangay Lupon) for formal mediation, rather than the local police, as these are administrative and civil matters.
We appeal to the compassion, patience, and community spirit of all Baleten-ons. Let us help one another navigate this temporary space crisis with the utmost respect for both the living and the resting peace of our dearly departed.
For compliance and strict implementation.
BY AUTHORITY OF THE MUNICIPAL MAYOR:
LUZVIMINDA F. PALMON
Cemetery Caretaker
Local Government Unit of Balete, Aklan
