By Kathlene Joyce C. Ramones | October 31, 2025

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union (PIA) — As Filipinos prepare to honor their departed loved ones this Undas, a new resting place in La Union opens its gates—not for people, but for the pets who loved them unconditionally.
 
For Xavier Mercado, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of La Union (CCILU) and a lifelong fur parent, this is the fulfillment of a dream that began in childhood. 
 
He had always imagined a peaceful spot where pet owners could visit their departed companions—a place that treats animals not as property, but as family.
 
That vision became reality on April 23, 2025, when La Union’s first pet cemetery was inaugurated inside the La Union Botanical Garden in San Fernando City, in time for National Pet Day.
 
A place for remembrance
 
Developed by the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) and the City Veterinary Office (CVO) in partnership with CCILU and the Association of Tourism Industries and Networks in La Union, the cemetery offers more than a final resting place. 
 
It’s a sanctuary for love and memory. Each pet laid to rest is honored with the planting of a native guava tree and a bougainvillea, La Union’s provincial flower. The guava tree nurtures local wildlife, while the bougainvillea adds color and symbolism—life continuing amid loss.
 
“It’s about giving families a place to say goodbye with dignity,” Mercado shared. “Our pets deserve to be remembered for the joy they brought us.”
 
A living tribute
 
Set within a 1,000-square-meter section of the 55-hectare botanical garden, the cemetery is also designed to give back to nature. 
 
Over time, CENRO envisions it growing into a mini guava forest, enhancing biodiversity and offering a serene refuge for visitors and wildlife alike.
 
Caring beyond life
 
The City Veterinary Office oversees the site as part of its ongoing efforts to promote animal welfare and responsible pet ownership. 
 
Beyond managing the cemetery, the office continues its programs on vaccination, spaying and neutering, microchipping, and rabies prevention—ensuring that compassion for animals extends beyond their final days.
 
“Our responsibility to animals doesn’t end when they pass away,” said City Veterinarian Flosie Decena. 

“We honor them by caring for those still with us,” Decena added.
 
Honoring all souls 
 
This Undas, as candles flicker and families gather to remember, some will make a quiet stop beneath guava trees and bougainvillea blooms—to light a candle, leave flowers, and whisper a thank-you to the pets who once filled their homes with love.
 
In La Union, even the smallest paw prints now have a place to rest—and to remind us that love, in any form, leaves a mark that never fades. (AMB/KJCR, PIA La Union)