City, province to close cemeteries on ‘tigkaralag’

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

Cemeteries, memorial parks, columbaria, and other similar places in the city and province of Iloilo will be closed once again from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2, 2021, following a national government directive.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) announced Wednesday that people will be unable to visit their departed loved ones on these dates, citing the continued threat of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas and Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. have both said Wednesday that they will adhere with this directive while they await the IATF-MEID resolution.

This, despite both local governments already putting in place measures in preparation for the “days of the dead”.

Treñas on Tuesday issued Executive Order (EO) No. 129, series of 2021, which would allow only fully or partially vaccinated persons to visit their departed from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2.

EO No. 129 also prohibited eating, drinking, and non-essential activities to discourage visitors to stay longer in said places.

The mayor told Daily Guardian via Viber that the city government met and ultimately agreed to comply with the national guidance.

“In our meeting we decided to align our protocols with the [national IATF-MEID] for [Oct. 29 to Nov. 2]. It will be very difficult if everyone will have different protocols,” he said in a message.

Defensor, on the other hand, provided for 10 persons per group and 30 percent cemetery capacity under the General Community Quarantine (GCQ), according to EO No. 575 that he issued.

The governor told capitol reporters on Wednesday that he would wait for the IATF-MEID resolution, after which he will issue a new EO on the matter.

“We are waiting for the [IATF-MEID] resolution, but I think [the cemetery closures] will happen. When it arrives, we will just issue an executive order so we can cascade it to the towns,” the governor said.

This will be the second year in a row that the IATF-MEID has ordered cemetery closures due to COVID.