Davao council backs one-time fee for Muslim grave lots at Tagakpan, exempts indigents

The Davao City Council has approved on second reading an ordinance setting a one-time fee of P7,000 to P15,000 for grave lots at the new Muslim cemetery inside the Tagakpan Public Cemetery. Indigent families will not be charged, according to SunStar.

The measure was sponsored by Councilor Ragde Niño Ibuyan Jr., chair of the Committee on Government Enterprises and Privatization, during the council's regular session on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. The cemetery has 70 small lots for children priced at P7,000 each and 264 large lots at P15,000 each. The committee report said these were the lowest rates in the range proposed by the City Economic Enterprises (CEE).

The Muslim lots differ from those in the city's regular public cemeteries, which are leased for six years. In line with Islamic tradition, the lots will be held in perpetuity, with no annual renewal fee and no exhumation or transfer of remains. Following an opinion from the City Legal Office that a temporary lease does not suit Muslim graves, families will receive a contract granting burial rights, while the city keeps ownership of the land.

The fees are projected to raise P4.45 million for cemetery operations and future Muslim cemeteries, short of the project's P7.33-million cost. Ibuyan said the rates were set in the spirit of public service. The CEE said the project, which includes a prayer building, pathwalks and a main entrance, is 87 percent complete.

The indigent exemption was added on the floor at the request of Councilor Diosdado Angelo Mahipus Jr. Burials of indigents will be free upon certification from the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO).

Speaking after the session, Ibuyan said the committee's consultations found private cemeteries charge more than P30,000 to P35,000, making the city's rates about 60 percent cheaper. He said the fees still need to cover personnel, maintenance and landscaping, and that the committee will propose a 20 percent discount for senior citizens and persons with disabilities next month.

Some councilors still considered the fee too high. Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang asked the CEE to study lowering it, saying "the government is not here for business." Councilor Alberto Ungab instead proposed that the CSWDO subsidize poor families so the CEE can still earn.

The council also approved Ibuyan's resolution urging the CSWDO to study extending its yearly burial assistance, now limited to indigent senior citizens, to all indigent residents.

The city's only other Muslim public cemetery is in Ma-a, where burials are free. Ibuyan said its planned rehabilitation will expand the Muslim section, and the city is looking for land for another Muslim cemetery in the second district. Tagakpan Public Cemetery reopened in 2024 after an overhaul and earned P3.01 million in 2025, well above its P700,000 target, SunStar earlier reported.