It’s a story we’ve been following, Tiguac Cemetery is down to its final eight burial plots. Lawmakers are now pushing a bill to expand the site, but as urgency grows, so do concerns about neglect. Some are asking: what good is more land if we can’t take care of what we already have?

A final resting place…with only eight places left as of this story.

"We're only down to less than maybe a month of burials left at Tiguac and my only other choice is if we dont get additional property, is that we close it," said Angel Sablan, director of the Department of Parks and Recreation. The Vicente A. Limtiaco Cemetery, better known as Tiguac, is nearly full. And now lawmakers are racing to pass Bill 49-38, introduced by Sen. Tina Rose Muna Barnes, which would transfer 11 acres of land next door to the Parks & Rec.

The land in question, Lot 258, has already been surveyed and belongs to the Government of Guam, but hasn’t been assigned to any agency. Supporters say transferring it to DPR would give the cemetery five more years of capacity - possibly 25, if crypts can be installed.

DPR deputy director Warren Pelletier said, "I have reached out to Department of Land Management, we've met on many occasions, and I've reached out to joseph santos, we've met a couple times, there seems to be a master plan, if implemented and funded, will allow for another 50 years plus and we'll give the dignity that Mayor [Jesse] Alig [of Piti] was asking for."

Along with pleading for the property, Pelletier also requested minimal funding, as he said, "To create the roads and the pathways into there. And with your approval and obtain that lot, we estimate five-plus years and if we are able to add crypts to that, it can be 20-25 years."

But expanding isn’t the only issue. Senators at the hearing raised questions about maintenance, funding, and dignity - after years of complaints that the cemetery has been left to deteriorate. Sen. Chris Barnett said, "Lanya, you want this extra property but you're not even maintaining the one you have already."

"I'm also a little confused because I understand the urgency and that you've brought this matter to the attention whichever previous legislature, but I just think for the senators, if for the couple of years youve been making this ask, we would just love it if you just came here with a map, maseha a sketch, of, 'Oh, we're going to put this here.'"

DPR says it’s doing what it can with what little it has - even rearranging burial areas to squeeze out more space - but admits the situation is not sustainable. Pelletier said, "We have made many adjustments, over the past three years in moving things around moving spaces around,so we can increase the plots but right now we are at a very critical point."

As burials continue - the choice before lawmakers isn’t just about space - it’s about how the island honors the dead - and serves the living.