Previous Story
‘$100K needed to maintain public cemetery in Marpi’
|
Posted on Jun 28 2022
Anthony Benavente
With the Tanapag cemetery already full, the Department of Public Lands and Natural Resources will need to open the Marpi public cemetery already by next fiscal year, according to DLNR Secretary Anthony Benavente last week.
Speaking at the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee’s hearing on DLNR’s budget last Wednesday, Benavente estimated they need $100,000 in all to open the Marpi public cemetery.
He said that DLNR’s Parks and Recreation is obligated to handle the maintenance of that cemetery.
“We are looking at opening that public Marpi cemetery. We need to start that. It’s very important and the maintenance of that public cemetery is critical,” he said.
He said there is an added cost in terms of maintenance and upkeeping.
In response to a question of Ways and Means Committee chair Rep. Donald M. Manglona (Ind-Rota), Benavente said that Parks and Recreation needs $100,000 for the cemetery project.
Benavente said presently, there are 2,500 existing graves at that public cemetery that remain unused and that another 2,500 will be built, for a total of 5,000 graves that will be available to the public.
“So that’s in the work right now,” said Benavente, adding that the Division of Fish and Wildlife has cleared the other land area of the cemetery.
He said if he is not mistaken, $1 million has already been set aside for that construction of the additional 2,500 graves.
Benavente said it’s time to start using the existing 2,500 graves they’ve been lying idle.
DLNR submitted a total budget request of $3.9 million for the upcoming fiscal year. Of that amount, approximately $3.1 million is proposed for a total of 101 positions. In addition, DLNR requested $783,000 for operations and $7,000 for utility.
However, the governor’s proposal allocates $2.13 million and 93 personnel for personnel.
“This computes a shortfall of $1.76 million,” Manglona said.
Finance Secretary David DLG Atalig that there will be a revised budget submission on July 1, which shall include additional funding for operations.
