PANAMA CITY, Panama – The Mayor’s Office of San Miguelito has officially announced that the municipal cemetery has reached its maximum capacity. To continue providing burial services, the administration will begin a process to recover burial spaces where funeral rights have been in arrears for over 15 years.
The critical capacity issue necessitates the immediate implementation of existing municipal regulations. According to the official statement, plots where families have failed to pay the required fees for more than a decade and a half will be subject to recovery. This measure is designed to free up space for new burials, ensuring the community continues to have access to essential funeral services without the need for constructing new cemetery grounds.
Official Statement on Cemetery Management Policy
The San Miguelito Mayor’s Office elaborated on the difficult decision, framing it as a necessary step for public service continuity. The administration is acting in accordance with long-standing ordinances that govern the use of public burial spaces.
To continue offering the service, it will be necessary to liberate the spaces whose graves maintain delinquency, that is, those whose funeral rights have not been paid for more than 15 years, [Translated from Spanish]
This policy highlights the growing challenge of urban cemetery management in densely populated districts. San Miguelito, one of the most populous districts in the Panama Province, faces limited land availability, making the expansion of cemetery grounds a complex and costly endeavor.
Next Steps for Families and the Community
The municipal government is expected to initiate a formal notification process for the affected families. The procedure for reclaiming the overdue plots will follow established legal protocols to ensure the process is handled with respect and adherence to local laws.
This action underscores a broader issue of infrastructure and service planning in growing urban centers. The San Miguelito municipality is taking proactive steps to manage its public resources effectively. Residents with questions are encouraged to contact the Mayor’s Office directly for clarification regarding specific plots and the official timeline for the space recovery initiative. Further details on the implementation of this cemetery management policy are anticipated in the coming days.