MACAU (UCAN): The authorities in Macau started an environmental-friendly way of burying the ashes of the dead amid a rise in moralities according a report by the Institute of Municipal Affairs [IAM] of Macau.
Starting March 1, families can avail “free of charge” of funeral services at Sá Kong Cemetery Memorial Garden in Taipa, the Portuguese-language newspaper Hoje Macau reported.
As per the official instructions, families can deposit the ashes of their loved ones in the Memorial Garden.
The ashes are to be initially placed in a biodegradable bag to be buried in a hole in the garden. This hole is then covered with earth and the ashes over time mix with nature, IAM said in a statement.
In the garden, designed in the shape of a flower, families also have tombstones on which they can put the name of buried family members.
The IAM said that the garden has 400 holes available and, after some time, these can be reused to deposit more biological bags with the ashes of other deceased people.
The agency pointed out that it has been conducting guided tours for interested people who can verify the spot to bury their loved ones. It added that the new plan for ecological burial is a constitution of similar schemes, such as the cremation of bones and the burial of ashes next to trees, launched in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
The initiatives became popular when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the city and left more than 8,121 infected and 121 dead, media reports say.
The move comes as official data showed Macau recorded the highest number of deaths in decades, with a total of 2,992 people died in 2022, the highest since 1970, according to data from the Directorate of Statistics and Censuses. In December, 773 people died.
The increase in mortality was about 30 per cent or 710 more deaths compared to 2019, the agency said.
In contrast, the territory recorded 7,499 live births last year, according to Country Meters, a website tracking population data.
The rise in the number of deaths came despite the fact the city rather successfully battled the Covid-19 pandemic with a strict health policy including several rounds of mass testing and contact tracing.
Health experts argue that though the Covid-19 threat has subsided significantly, the abandonment of the zero-Covid policy left people vulnerable and triggered a rise in mortality.
Since the first outbreak in early 2020, Macau imposed strict lockdowns several times that brought the gaming and gambling industry, the mainstay of the city, to a standstill. Besides, all public offices, places of worship, schools, and other businesses were closed.
During the crisis, Church groups joined forces with the administration to provide food and other aid to people, especially expatriate workers who lost their jobs and income.
The Catholic Church permits both burial and cremation of bodies with proper documentation such as a copy of the death certificate from the Macau Civil Registry, a Macau Identity Card, and a baptism certificate from the related parish, according to the website the Diocese of Macau.
