Technological Institute of the Philippines

363 P Casal, Quiapo, Manila, 1001 Metro Manila

Project:

Manila Chinese Cemetery

Case Study

Subject:

Design 6/AR 321S3-AR32FA1-A17

Professor:

Arch. Elmer Soliman

Group Members:

Brian Diaz

Shaquille Christian Go

Joeffrey Pesico

Jastin Salazar
 A Site Visit in Manila Chinese Cemetery in Abad Santos

Introduction

This case study is related on to upcoming project for design 6. To conduct a research about cemeteries.
Our group did a site visit at Manila Chinese Cemetery near Abad Santos Station to support our research
in cemeteries. It is important for us to gain knowledge about this site. It will also be our basis in designing
a project cemetery.

Background

As we arrived at Manila Chinese Cemetery near Abad Santos station. The Entrance was open in south gate.
It was a large gate torii. As you enter the gate, the Chinese cemetery sits on the highest elevated portion
of the district. There were people there who offer as tour guide of the cemetery. The location was high so
there was a lot of air movement. You can easily see the Chinese Mausoleums and in front of it was open
graveyard for those who cant afford to build a Mausoleums for their passed love ones. It was a bit messy
as you can see wild grass grow on different places but you can also see rare trees that cannot be found
outside that cemetery. We have to be ready for a serious walk because the cemetery was huge. There,
we saw alleys between Mausoleums leading to other Mausoleums. We also saw temples, and apartments
for dead peoples yearn. We also saw elegant mausoleums that has living areas and own comfort rooms.
We visit small temple in front of the 3 storey apartment. Temples are used by Chinese people to pray for
their love ones. We also visit the admins office to get some info about the cemetery. Then we noticed that
there is no proper parking area for the cemetery. As one of our member said. He experienced that they
had to park outside the cemetery in R.papa. it was a heavy traffic congestion as there are cars parked in
the main road.

Advantage

The Chinese cemetery sits on the highest elevated portion of the district.
Tour guides to guide tourist
Admin gives tourist a map of the whole cemetery
Wind movements roam easily in the site
Mausoleums were properly linear arrange
Provide Temple for Chinese people to pray for their love ones.
Has easy access on clean public comfort rooms.
Stores for people to buy their needs at the cemetery
Disadvantage

No Parking area for visitors

Bit messy as wild grass grow everywhere at the site
Open Graveyards has small path ways. Makes it hard to walk at that location
Less trees visitors who go there usually needs to walk for a long way. So big trees are needed to
provide shade
The gate was only open at south side. North is usually closed except during All Saints
Day(November 1) and All Souls Day(November 2). Some people are annoyed by this entrance
because usually all visitors dropped by in the north gate so they need to ride a tricycle for them
to go to south gate.

Image of the site

Accessibility

The site must be served by a road with a minimum width or right-of-way of not less that 8.00 meters.
(The right-of-way of major roads shall be increased as project size increases).

Land Allocation

There shall be no fixed ratio for saleable area: Provided, however, that the owner/developer shall
reserve the required areas for roads, pathways, parking and other facilities and amenities: And,
provided, further, that for Memorial Parks, at least 50 % of the saleable area shall be utilized for
underground interment in order to retain park-like character of the project.

DESIGN PARAMETERS AND ROAD SPECIFICATIONS

A. Burial Plot Sizes

A.1 Ground Interment

A.1.1. Minimum size shall be 1.00 meter by 2.44 meters (inside dimensions).

A.1.2 Minimum depth of excavation shall be at least 1.5 meter-deep and filled well and firmly.

A.1.3 No remains shall be buried where water table is less than 4.50 meter-deep from the natural
ground surface.

A. 1.4 For plots fronting roads, a minimum setback from the right-of- way of 1.00 meter shall be
required where no above ground structure may be constructed.

A.1.5 Maximum height of structure above ground shall be 40 centimeters.

A.2 Above Ground Interment

A.2.1 Tomb (for cemeteries only)

A.2.1.1 Minimum burial plot size shall be 1.6 meters by 3.00 meters inside dimensions.

A.2.1.2 Minimum setback for front and sides of the plot shall be 30 centimeters where no structure or
part of it may be constructed.

A.2.1.3 For plots fronting roads, a minimum setback of 1.00 meter shall be required.

A.2.2 Mausoleum

A.2.2.1 Minimum plot size of 4.00 meters by 5.00 meters.

A.2.2.2 Minimum setback of 50 centimeters shall be required.

A.2.2.3 1.00 meter setback for plots fronting roads shall be required.

A.2.2.4 Provisions for ossuary and cinerarium shall meet the minimum dimensions for cineraria - which
is 300 mm x 300 mm x 600 mm as stipulated in Rule XII of the Implementing Rules of the National
Building Code.

A.2.3 Columbarium/Ossuary

A.2.3.1 Provisions for ossuary and niche shall meet the minimum dimensions as follows:

300 mm x 300 mm x 600 mm as stipulated in Rule XII of the Implementing Rules of the National Building
Code.

A.2.3.2 Only 1 single individual bone remains or cinerary remains per ossuary or niche.

A.2.3.3 Suitable location as separate structure shall conform to provisions on site criteria pursuant to
Section 1.A of this Rules.

A.2.3.4 Perpetual care of the columbarium/ossuary shall be the responsibility pf the project developer.

A.2.3.5 Fully air-conditioned structure, preferably centralized or well ventilated.

A.2.3.6 Provision of wake chaplets that can accommodate a variable number of visitors with a minimum

A.2.3.7 area of 45 square meters for 30 persons and at least 1.77 square meters for each additional
person.

Provision of adequate parking space per requirement of the National Building Code;

A.2.3.8 Traffic Management

The columbarium/ossuary estate management shall ensure traffic management within the vicinity of the
project especially during All Saints Day and All Souls Day.

Access to Plots

No plot shall be more than 60 meters from a roadway nor more than 30 meters from a pathway.

C.1 Major and Minor Roads

Major roads shall have a minimum right-of-way of eight 8 meters; 6 meters thereof shall be carriageway.
The remaining 2 meters shall be developed as sidewalk or as easement of 1 meter on either side.

Minor roads shall have a minimum right-of-way of 6.5 meters, 4.5 meters thereof shall be the
carriageway while the rest shall be devoted to either sidewalk or easement where no burial shall be
allowed.
C.2 Dead-end Streets

Dead-end streets shall be provided at the closed end with a cul-de-sac or other appropriate turn

around space. Cul-de-sac shall have a minimum diameter of 15 meters.

C.3 Paving of Roads and Pathways

Road pavement for major and minor roads shall either be concrete or asphalt. Pathways shall have a
minimum width of 1 meter and shall be paved with either flagstones, concrete slabs or other firm, stable
and non-slip material.

C.4 Others

Other planning/design consideration which would contribute to the safety and convenience in the use of
the road system in a memorial park shall be observed in preparing the development plan.

D. Service Utilities

D.1 xxx Consumption: Provided, however, that adequate supply based on projected requirements shall
be ensured especially for irrigation purposes or the proper maintenance of the greenery.

The water supply be adequate and potable whether from a public or from a private water
supply system. The quality of water used shall be in accordance with the Philippine National
Standards for Drinking Water.

D.1.1 All water sources shall have a certificate of potability of drinking water issued by the local
health officer.

D.1.2 A minimum supply of 40 liters per capita per day shall be maintained.

D.2 xxx Areas. Other pertinent provisions of the Water Code on drainage shall be complied with.

D.3 Sewer System

xxx Conforming to the Sanitation Code shall be provided.

D.3.1 Sewage from the burial ground plumbing system shall be connected to a public sewerage system,
or in the absence thereof, to an imhoff or septic tank or other wastewater treatment facility and
subsurface absorption field. A transition of 1 year period shall be afforded to the owner of the burial
ground to comply with these rules and regulations. No renewal of sanitary permit shall be issued after
the transition period,

D.3.2 Storm water shall be discharged to a storm sewer system in all areas where it exists.
D.4 Solid Waste Management

D.4.1 Each strategic area of the burial ground shall be provided with at least 2 refuse receptacles or
containers, one for biodegradable and one for nonbiodegradable materials provided with tight fitting
cover. It shall be lined with black color-coded plastic bag for nonbiodegradable and green color-coded
plastic bag for biodegradable materials. Collection of refuse shall be done by the personnel of the burial
ground.

D.4.2 Accumulation of refuse which may become harborage and breeding places of vermin shall not be
permitted.

D.4.3 The collection, segregation, storage and disposal of refuse shall be in accordance with sanitary
procedures and regulations.

D.4.4 Separate storage room/bin for dry and wet refuse shall be provided.

D.5 Vermin Control

D.5.1 A vermin abatement program shall be maintained in the burial ground premises by the owners,
operators or administrators. If they fail, neglect or refuse to maintain a vermin abatement program, the
local health agency will undertake the work at the expense of the owners, operators or administrators.

D.5.2 Office rooms, toilet rooms and other openings to outdoor space shall be screened, unless air-
conditioned. Doors shall be tight-fitting and self-closing.

D.5.3 All below grade openings such as windows, lighting and ventilation shall be rat-proofed. Likewise,
all openings in the exterior walls and roof shall be rat-proofed. In case of heavy rat infestations, wooden
exterior floors shall be covered with cuff and chain sheet metal and equipped with an automatic closing
device.

D.5.4 The growth of bush, weeds and grass shall be controlled to prevent harborage of ticks, bugs and
other noxious insects.

D.6 Electrical Power Supply - Lamp posts' distances for street lighting shall be spaced at a maximum of
100 meters or as prescribed by the power firm

servicing the area. Utility poles shall be installed along sides of streets and pathways.

E. Buffer Strip

For memorial parks/cemeteries which are located along national primary and secondary roads, as
defined by EO 113, as amended, and identified as such by the Department of Public Works and
Highways, a distance of at least 25 meters from the edge of the road right-of-way shall be imposed
where no burial shall be allowed, provided that it shall conform with the pertinent provisions of the
Sanitation Code and Water Code. The area may be utilized for parking purposes, or as space for the
administration building, church or other facilities or for planting of trees and shrubs, or other related
use. A service road may be allowed within this buffer.

Public Comfort Rooms - The memorial park/cemetery shall be provided with separate public comfort
rooms for men and women. The comfort room for men shall consist of a lavatory, a urinal and a water
closet while for women two lavatories and two water closets should be provided. The number of
comfort rooms shall be at least 2, 1 for men and 1 for women for 3 hectares and below and 4, 2 for men
and 2 for women for 3 hectares and up. Public comfort rooms shall be strategically located, preferably
near the memorial park/cemetery.

Memorial Parks with an area of 1 hectare and below shall be provided with a main pathwalk of 2-meter
minimum width from the main gate straight to the rear of the cemetery for pedestrian traffic and a
network of 2-meter pathwalks. Where the cemetery abuts a street/road there shall be a setback of
sufficient distance to provide enough parking space to accommodate

simultaneously 10 vehicles without spillage to the street/road.

F.4 Administrative Office - a 64-square meter lot shall be allocated for an administration building office
for memorial parks with an area of above one hectare.

F.5 Parking Area - Parking area equivalent to a minimum of five percent (5%) of the gross area of
memorial park/cemetery shall be provided for over and above the required parking area/facility for any
structures to be constructed within the premises of the memorial park/cemetery.

G. Perimeter Fence

The cemetery/memorial park shall be enclosed by a perimeter fence with specifications and conditions
as prescribed in the implementing Rules of the National Building Code (Rule XII, 3.1) as follows:

"The cemetery shall be totally enclosed by a perimeter fence of strong material, and all gates provided
with a strong door and lock perimeter wall shall not exceed 3.00 meters in height.

Where a cemetery is enclosed by a solid reinforced concrete wall at least 2 meters high, but not
exceeding 3.00 meters, it is allowed to construct tombs, vaults, mausoleums or other types of
sepulchers for the dead up to the walls. Otherwise, a clearance of 5 meters shall be maintained between
the perimeter fence and the nearest interment plot".