City to open cemeteries on All Souls’ and Saints’ Days

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

Unlike last year’s rules, Iloilo City Government on Thursday said it will allow people to enter the city’s 18 cemeteries from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2, 2021 amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

In a virtual presser, the city government’s COVID Team spokesperson and Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) head Jeck Conlu said that under the General Community Quarantine with heightened restrictions (GCQ-HR), cemeteries and memorial parks in the city can accommodate visitors at 50 percent capacity.

Only vaccinated persons, whether fully or partially, can enter the cemeteries. Vaccination cards and IDs may be required at the entrance.

Non-residents will also be allowed to enter the city, if they have received at least the first dose of the COVID vaccine.

Minors will also be allowed to visit the cemeteries if they are accompanied by a parent or guardian.

People will be allowed to stay without time limits, but they will not be allowed to eat, gamble, or conduct any other activities apart from visiting their departed loved ones.

Tarpaulins will also be placed in conspicuous areas to remind people not to stay for a longer time so other visitors can still go inside the cemeteries and memorial parks.

Conlu added that safety officers from the PSTMO, the City Compliance Team, and cemetery management will be deployed to conduct head counts at entry points. Roving officers will check compliance with health protocols.

As the city government expects fewer persons on the streets, it will not implement traffic re-routing schemes.

City Health Office officer-in-charge Dr. Annabel Tang added that they will be deploying health care personnel to cemeteries.

“Visitors can bring water, but alcoholic drinks and food will not be allowed, so they can also limit their own stay in the cemetery because if they do bring food, they will stay for longer. In private cemeteries, sometimes there are bands or other activities, that will also be prohibited,” Conlu said.

The city government has set up Task Force Kalag-Kalag, with sub-task forces consisting of the PSTMO for Safety, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) for Emergency and Response, and the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) for Security.

Volunteer groups will also be tapped to help the Task Force in implementing its COVID-19 and other emergency operations during this time.

CDRRMO chief Donna Magno said that they are also standing by for natural hazards (thunderstorms, flash floods, and earthquakes), human induced hazards (fires, terrorist attacks, mass protests, bomb threats, car crashes, etc.), and complex hazards (COVID-19).

Three alert levels will be utilized by the CDRRMO, with corresponding responses, namely:

Alpha, which will be handled by on-site responders;

Bravo, by the on-site Incident Management Teams (IMTs); and

Charlie, by the Iloilo City IMT, and with possible activation of CDRRM Council (CDRRMC), Regional DRRMC, and National DRRMC.

All alert levels will consider minimum health protocols and ensure that within the breach area, breach of protocols may be tantamount to site closures and arrest or apprehension of violators.