Vertical memorial development to start soon at Fort Bonifacio

FROM SIX feet under to 80 feet high.

If there's a fast rising trend of

''upward'' living as evidenced by the

vertical development of condominiums in the metropolis, there's

another ''upward'' structure set to finish soon--a vertical

memorial development comprising ash/bone vaults.

The plan consists of

250,000 ash/bone

vaults and a shrine

that boasts of

having materials

imported from

Bethlehem, Nazareth

and Jerusalem.

These will be

constructed at the Libingan ng mga Bayani at Fort Bonifacio.

During the May 19 groundbreaking rites celebrated by Jaime

Cardinal Sin, Riverhead Property Management Inc. (RPMI) and

its Taiwanese partner Global Holding Group announced that the

first phase of construction is set to finish in eight months.

The first phase includes the Carillon, a P250-million four-level

fully air-conditioned sanctuary to house ash/bone vaults.

Initially, it will have 20,000 ash/bone vaults to be arranged

systematically in corridors.

The second phase, estimated to cost P2 billion, will include the

National Shrine of the Risen Lord. This project, said RPMI

president Danilo Macabuhay, is in commemoration of the

Blessed Hope of the Resurrection. He described the centerpiece

as having the image of the Risen Lord suspended above the

altar.

Along with the Carillon sanctuary is a rock garden and the

Pyramid of the Last Rites where caskets will be lain. ''The

Carillon will have a floor area of 2,000 sq.m. and a viewing deck

at the fifth level,'' said Macabuhay.

Riverhead joined forces with Taiwanese partner, Global Holding

Group, and conceived the creation of what they call resting

places in vertical structure.

''We envision the Carillon to have a neoclassical theme with two

bell towers that would play ethereal tunes,'' remarked Wainright

Rivera, Riverhead chair and CEO.

Rivera added that the atmosphere the bone vaults will create will

be quite different from the typical cemetery lots where Filipinos

converge in a very small place and play madjong during their

visits.

''First of all, the atmosphere is air-conditioned, very comfortable

as compared to the memorial parks that are chaotic,'' he said.

With bone vaults, he added, visitors stay for five to 10 minutes,

reflect and leave. ''So what we're saying is that the wave of the

future--as proven by our partners in Taiwan who have been in

the business for 20 years--will be the bone vaults.''

RPMI forged a turnkey general construction agreement with

Walter Group International/Concrete Construction Group for the

construction of the Carillon and the National Shrine of the Risen

Lord. These are both designed by RS Licup Design Group.

Trustee bank is the Union Bank of the Philippines.

The Global Group is supplying about P50-million worth of bone

vaults for RPMI. ''We welcome them not only as our bone vaults

supplier, but also as conveyor of the transfer of technology.''