Arthur Fuentes

Visitors view a trade presentation on technological innovations for honoring the departed at Forest Lake Memorial Park in Biñan, Laguna, on October 15, 2025. The memorial park offers services such as QRonicle, which links QR-coded grave markers to personal stories and multimedia content, as well as Libre Burol (free wake services) and Libing Anywhere, which allows clients to transfer interment rights nationwide.
These initiatives demonstrate Forest Lake’s commitment to modernizing memorialization and expanding accessibility through technology that makes memorial care more meaningful, modern, and compassionate.
Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Hi-tech Memorial Service

Raine Musñgi

MANILA — Forest Lake CEO Alby Xerez Burgos is calling on regulators to modernize burial laws and allow more environmentally sustainable funeral practices — from liquid-based aquamation to soil-based terramation.“There are only certain ways that the Department of Health will allow us to do,” Burgos said.“I hope the DOH and DENR will be more open to environmentally friendly ways.”Outdated burial rulesUnder the current Sanitation Code (Presidential Decree 856), remains must be encased in a concrete vault or coffin — a practice that environmental groups say prevents natural decomposition and uses high-emission materials like concrete and metal.According to the DENR, cemeteries can produce leachate that seeps into groundwater if not properly maintained — an issue Burgos says can be mitigated with modern technologies and updated regulations.“These [vaults] will have effluents at some point in time,” he warned.Trends and tech in the “death care” industryBurgos said the Philippines can take cues from abroad, where cremation already accounts for 60 percent of burials in the US, while Filipino consumers remain largely traditional.“Gen Z actually prefers traditional burials. They want to go back,” Burgos revealed.Despite the cultural preference, Forest Lake is preparing for columbarium launches in Biñan, Iloilo, and Davao, where density and land scarcity make vertical or mixed-use memorials more viable.From luxury developer to death innovatorA former real estate executive at Landco, Burgos said he found purpose in creating accessible, sustainable memorial spaces. “Every Filipino deserves dignity — even after death,” he said.“We started in Zamboanga in 1997 — a war zone then — and we proved that even the most depressed cities deserve peace, beauty, and remembrance,” he recalled (17:05–17:31).Catch the full interview with Alby Xerez Burgos on Market Edge, exclusively on the ABS-CBN News Channel.

Philippine burial laws need to be modernized to allow more environmentally sustainable funeral practices — from liquid-based aquamation to soil-based terramation, an industry player said.

Philippine burial laws need to be modernized to allow more environmentally sustainable funeral practices — from liquid-based aquamation to soil-based terramation, an industry player said.

Govt urged to update rules to allow 'eco-friendly' burials

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Govt urged to update rules to allow 'eco-friendly' burials

Raine Musñgi,

ABS-CBN News Channel

Published November 10, 2025 05:11 PM PHT

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aquamation

cremation

terramation

memorial park

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