A Proposed Redevelopment of Zamora Cemetery

In Butuan City

A Research Proposal Presented to the Faculty of the

College of Engineering and Architecture

Saint Joseph Institute of Technology

Montilla Boulevard, Butuan City

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Subject Design-9

Researcher:

Angelica A. Lopez

Ar. Vinuz Beltran-Idul

Research Adviser
 February 2022

ACTIVITY 1: WHAT IS YOUR THESIS RESEARCH AREA/ TOPIC AND RATIONALE?

“REDEVELOPMENT OF ZAMORA CEMETERY IN BUTUAN CITY”

Death is a difficult subject to discuss, so we avoid it in favor of focusing on things that will
support the living. We cannot contradict that death is unavoidable, and with society growing rapidly, we
are responsible for serving the needs of the living over the needs of the dead and ignoring the problems
that the cemeteries face. A cemetery is a designated location where the remains of deceased people are
interred in specific, recognizable grave sites. It is also considered a holy place entrusted with caring for
the dead in a respectful manner and safeguarding collective history.

Public cemeteries are facing a lot of problems, and most of the issues are congestion, pollution,
and informal settlers. Squatting in cemeteries is not unusual in the Philippines. Tombs were used as beds,
and families lived in the mausoleums, and pollution is also a threat to public cemeteries. Most Cemeteries
in Butuan City are congested and neglected and even the path walks were used as burial sites. One of the
reasons why cemeteries become congested is because open spaces are being converted and used for
entombment due to the consistent number of burials, and some informal settlers are occupying the area.

Butuan City has been rapidly growing and expanding, and the mortality rate issues of the city's
populous cemeteries are still ongoing. This project proposal will benefit the city's development by
addressing community issues concerning traditions and religious beliefs regarding funeral designs. Also,
this study will focus on resolving the current issues with public cemeteries, such as informal settlers,
pollution, and congestion. Hence, the researcher of this project will conduct the study to improve the
ways of Filipino funerary design by applying the architectural design approach to funeral designs for
public cemeteries.

Public awareness is critical in empowering the community to participate in effecting change.

According to Reena J, the primary requirement for improving the environment is to educate the public.
As environmental issues occur, society must take the lead to engage in solutions that aim to improve
things. Reoccurring problems will not be separated by public awareness and will be carefully studied as a
result of the increased attention.

The researcher identified that there is a theoretical gap concerning the prior research: Architectural
application on a redevelopment project of a cemetery under community development. The researcher also
found out that the prior study is rather dated. (Miles 2017)
ACTIVITY 2: WHAT IS YOUR RESEARCH PROBLEM?

Most Cemeteries in Butuan City are congested and neglected and even the path walks were used
as burial sites. One of the reasons why cemeteries become congested is because open spaces are being
converted and used for entombment due to the consistent number of burials, and some informal settlers
are occupying the area. The researcher aims to redevelop the existing Zamora Cemetery in order to
achieve a healthy environment that seeks to establish a distinctive spatial feature and provide the area
with a peaceful environment for reflection and remembrance. The success of this project will surely
benefit the people of the community and uplift the rising problems in our city.

The redevelopment of Zamora Cemetery will showcase a more sustainable way of burial that
affects less of the environment and makes the environment more comfortable for visitors. It will promote
the spatial feature and introduce innovative materials to give back to the environment by being
sustainable. To the community, the proposed project will become a solution to the land available for
public cemeteries and aid problems that are existing.

Specifically, the researcher aims to do the following:

1. What ideas or concepts do you have in mind to produce a solution concerning the congested
cemetery?
2. How will you produce a sustainable, spacious, and environment-friendly cemetery that will ensure the
satisfaction of the community?
3. What will be the contribution of the Redevelopment of Zamora Cemetery which leads the project into
community development?

ACTIVITY 3: WHAT IS YOUR RESEARCH PARADIGM?

The researcher will employ scientific methods to investigate and analyze the phenomenon under
study. To gather data for the project proposal, the researcher will conduct interviews, surveys, and
observations. The data gathered by the researcher will be relevant to the literature he reads. The studies
help the researcher in determining the similarities and differences between the studies. And, also to
compare research findings between past and present studies.

The researcher will focus on understanding the phenomenon under study rather than causal
explanation. The researcher will provide a detailed analysis regarding the identified phenomenon under
the study: The Redevelopment of Zamora Cemetery, Butuan City. The study will also investigate the
factors that influence the planning process for the study's proposal.
 The world is socially constructed and the interaction of individuals within the physical and social
context will affect the answer to the research questions. In the study, the researcher intends to consider the
reactions and responses of the study's beneficiaries, namely the students, the community, and future
researchers.

It is impossible for the researcher to give an objective and value-free interpretation of the
phenomenon under study. Since the respondents of the study have a different perspectives on the
phenomenon, the researcher's primary goal in organizing the study is to consider the respondents'
perspectives and opinions on the phenomenon.

Research Tools Your identification/description

Concepts and Constructs

The Outline Figure of research design show the systematic flow of the
research methodology. This will serve as a guide for the researcher
throughout the entire process of making the research study.
The model used in the study is the Input-Process-Output (IPO) Method. This
model will illustrate the identified factors of the study that will make up the
Model(s) process. The IPO diagram will include all the materials and pieces of
information required to fill in the process which will then introduce a product or
outcome of the study. The input will be the identified factors of the study, while
on the other hand, the survey questionnaire and interviews will be placed under
process. Moreover, the Output will be the expected outcome of the study.

The researcher cannot detach himself from the phenomenon his investigating since the researcher
is part of the social reality being researched. Since the researcher stands to benefit from the study's
success. It is possible that the researcher will also assist in the data collection process for the study.