“Sustainable Redevelopment of Public Cemeteries”
Statement of the Problem
With the increasing number of burial grounds in all public cemeteries, it makes a
huge impact on people and the environment. The problems occur when society has no
future developments or design strategies for the overcrowding of tombs and graves. With
these, it has the potential to affect society's long-term growth, particularly in developing
nations.
This study aims to answer the following questions:
1. What are the needed architectural design and planning strategies to provide in
preventing unorganized tombs/graves in public cemeteries?
2. What are the impacts of the sustainable redevelopment of public cemeteries on
people and the environment?
3. What are the strategies to be utilized to prevent unauthorized settlers from
occupying?
Review of Related Literature
It is essential to look into relevant issues that will offer a deeper understanding,
valuable data, and thoughtful analysis in order to properly comprehend the circumstances
of the study. Readings on articles addressing the plight of the urban poor, in the
researcher's opinion, should be mentioned in connection with the study.
According to Collin Crawford (2009), he argues that if global urbanization and its
defining characteristics, such as extreme squalor and associated social ills, are not taken
into consideration as a crucial aspect of climate change policy, we face massive
consequences in future where cities will experience ongoing and possibly unstoppable
urban violence and social disintegration, a development that can only hasten the separate
but related harms caused by climate change on the world's human and biological
populations.
These outcomes are seen on a number of levels. The fastest rates of land
conversion over the following several decades are projected to occur in biodiversity
hotspots that were comparatively unaffected by urban expansion in 2000, which will
represent a direct threat to high-value ecosystems. (Seto et al., 2009).
In the Philippines, the structure and functions of the country's various social
institutions - the family, economy, politics, religion, and education - have been affected
by urbanization. The family's functions have been eroded as a result of industrialization
and modernization. Economically, urbanization has exacerbated poverty. This is
exacerbated by unemployment, underemployment, a decrease in real wages due to
persistent inflation, and uncontrolled migration. The labor market is still unable to absorb
all new graduates and migrants. Due to a lack of job opportunities, many people have
been forced to work abroad, leaving many children and youths in the care and guidance
of a single parent or a relative. And the unplanned urbanizations heighten the crime rate
and became a breeding ground of violence. (Leones, 2006).
Likewise, Manila North Cemetery is also been occupied by informal settlers
because of the constant search for work, as well as the accompanying migration to cities,
has exacerbated poverty, and results to poor sanitation, and urban decay. As said by Dr.
Eduardo Serrano, head of the Manila Health Department’s preventable diseases division,
“They already know that they should not make homes out of cemeteries,”, “It’s
dangerous to their health. The problem is they are being asked to leave but they keep on
coming back,”. With these, it is clear that it affects every person’s health and especially
the surroundings. (Lima, 2007).
However, aside from environmental impacts, in the article of entitled,” Libingan
ng mga Bayani occupied by informal settlers” (Galvez, 2012), it was said that the large
portion of the cemetery has been occupied by informal settlers in which it became a bad
image and disrespects the deserving Filipinos and soldiers who died saving the country.
REFERENCES
Celia V. Sanidad-Leones, (2006), “THE CURRENT SITUATION OF CRIME
ASSOCIATED WITH URBANIZATION: PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED AND
COUNTERMEASURES INITIATED IN THE PHILIPPINES”, book reference
Colin Crawford, (2009), “OUR BANDIT FUTURE? CITIES, SHANTYTOWNS,
AND CLIMATE CHANGE GOVERNANCE”,
https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/ulj/vol36/iss2/1/ BANDIT FUTURE
Karen C. Seto, (2009), “Global urban land-use trends and climate impacts”,
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1877343509000153?via%3Dihub
Eduardo A. Galvez, (2012), “Libingan ng mga Bayani occupied by informal
settlers”, https://www.congress.gov.ph/press/details.php?pressid=6508
Karen Lima, (2007), “In Philippines, the living share space with the dead”,
https://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyle-life-philippines-cemetery-dc-
idUKMAN22833020061027
