Phl’s oldest crematorium headed for graveyard

MANILA, Philippines - While the past decade saw the mushrooming of crematory facilities across Metro Manila, it also witnessed the demise of the country’s oldest crematorium at the San Lazaro Hospital (SLH).

After serving for 99 years, the SLH was shut down for good in 2002 when it broke down beyond repair.

“When the facility bogged down, we requested for funds from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office to have it repaired. An assessment was made but we were told it could no longer be repaired,” SLH administrative office head Elenorita Reyes told The STAR.

Reyes said the spare parts needed for the burning system were no longer available.

The cremation chamber of SLH looked like an oven of fire-resistant bricks and had burners powered by diesel.

“The chimney of the crematorium is also low so we really have to build a new one and this would be costly,” Reyes said.

The crematory was put up in 1903 primarily for the patients of SLH who were mostly sick with leprosy, which used to be contagious, and because of the bubonic plague outbreak back then.

At present, however, leprosy is already curable while there are effective antibiotics to treat bubonic plague, which is even described by the Atlanta-based Center for Disease Control and Prevention as the “most common plague” in its website.

Reyes said the growing number of crematory facilities has lessened the need for the SLH to rebuild its crematorium.

“The city government of Manila now has its own crematorium at the North Cemetery so if there is really a need to cremate a patient, we coordinate with them,” she said.

Changing times

According to Health Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag, fears of meningococcemia and eventually the human immunodeficiency virus also made people resort to cremation.

“SLH is the national referral center for infectious diseases. There were illnesses that required burning in crematorium because they were infectious. But times have changed. We realized cremation is no longer needed (for these cases),” said Tayag, who also served as chief epidemiologist and acting director of SLH.

“Now, the primary considerations in cremating a loved one are the expenses, convenience and the family’s culture and beliefs,” he said.

He said congestion and flooding in many cemeteries have likewise prompted many Filipinos to have their loved ones cremated.

On the other hand, an employee of SLH said it was her father’s request to be cremated.

“He used to tell us that he wanted to be cremated when he dies. He did not want his body to be eaten up by worms. So when he died, we fulfilled his request,” she said.