ILOILO CITY -- The Iloilo City government will assess if the Muslim cemetery in Barangay Tabuc Suba can still be rehabilitated.
“I am aware that our Muslim brothers have no burial place here,” said Mayor Jose Espinosa III on Monday. Instead, they have to go to the town of Sara in the fifth district of the province to bury their dead.
He said the old cemetery is no longer used as it gets flooded every time it rains.
“They have a tradition that they have to bury their dead within 24 hours after death. And Sara is far,” he said in an interview.
The mayor said the possible rehabilitation of the old cemetery will be one of priorities of his administration citing that Iloilo hosts a big Muslim community.
“We have a big Muslim community here scattered all around and they are peace-loving residents of Iloilo doing business side-by-side with us, helping us in community building,” he said.
As of last year, the Iloilo United Muslims Communities Inc. has more or less 2,000 population composed of Maranao, Tausug, Maguindanao and Balik Islam residing in Molo, La Paz and Jaro districts.
He also extended his greetings to the Muslim community as they celebrate the Eid’l Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) Tuesday.
The celebration of the Eid’l Adha has been declared as a regular holiday in the Philippines as recommended by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos. (PNA)
