Public, private cemeteries in city closed during ‘Undas’

Unlike in previous years, “Kalag-kalag” or the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day in November 2020 will be far more different as threats of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) discouraged social and mass gatherings.

For this year’s “Fiesta Minatay,” swarms of people, especially families visiting their departed kin, will not be allowed inside cemeteries.

Mayor Jerry Treñas ordered the closure of all public and private cemeteries, memorial parks, and columbaries in Iloilo City from Oct 30 until Nov 2, 2020.

The mayor issued executive order (EO) No. 144 on Thursday imposing the interim closure of all cemeteries, memorial parks, and columbaries in Iloilo City both public and private due to the threats of COVID-19.

The Iloilo City government through the Iloilo City Business Permits and Licensing Office, Public Safety and Traffic Management Office, and the Iloilo City Covid-19 Team shall impose the order while the Philippine National Police (PNP) and barangay officials where the public and private cemeteries are located shall augment the forces of the personnel of the Iloilo City government.

“Facility managers of these establishments are directed to exclude all persons from entering said place during the period described,” the order said.

According to Treñas, the interim closure of the cemeteries may be lifted once there will be zero cases of Covid-19 in Iloilo City.

“The interim closure of all public and private cemeteries, memorial parks and columbaries in Iloilo City for the period stated may be lifted once zero cases of Covid-19 will be logged in Iloilo City,” he said.

He warned that those who knowingly and intentionally violate the order and the established health and safety protocols will face the appropriate administrative and criminal charges.

Erring establishments shall also face appropriate sanctions applicable for any violation.

Last year, almost 100,000 city residents flocked the three big cemeteries in Iloilo City in observance of the All Saints’ Day on November 1 and All Souls’ Day on November 2.

The biggest among the three cemeteries is the Tanza Cemetery which holds more than 12,000 tombs while around 5,000 tombs are situated in Jereos and more than 8,000 in Quintin Salas, based on the data from the City Environment and Natural Resources (CENRO).

 

‘ALTERNATE DAYS’

Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. is also considering the suspension of regular activities on All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days, Nov. 1 and 2, 2020.

Instead, Defensor said they will assign days for residents to visit their departed loved ones, due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

All Saints and All Souls Days are traditional holidays in Filipino culture where families visit their departed kin.

In a press conference on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020, Defensor said that it was “too early” to make pronouncements for Nov. 1 and 2 due to the “unpredictable” COVID-19 situation in the province.

“We don’t have to think about that yet. We will look at what the situation is. We still have time, and it doesn’t have to be now. We will have to ask our priests, because most of our residents are Catholic,” Defensor said.

He said that in the meantime, they may follow the provisions of Executive Order No. 183, which limits public gatherings to 30 percent.

“Our [EO] states that public gatherings are allowed, but the policy is that there [should be] no crowds. We reduced to 30 percent of the venue capacity. That is what we should apply. But of course, we will look at the situation first. Will a cemetery with 30 percent capacity be good? Right now we are considering that. Of course, we have a municipal cemetery. Without having to issue another EO, we have a rule already that we can use,” the governor said.

The governor agreed to a suggestion by a reporter to suspend the traditional holiday activities and instead provide assigned days, like the current policy on local markets.

EO No. 183 prohibits “market day” and instead enjoins the province’s towns and city to assign barangay clusters to a single day of the week.

This had been the policy of the province since the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in the province was imposed in March.

“Because we have done it with the markets, we suspended market day. We’ve clustered that and assigned given days to each barangay. We can also probably do that during All Souls’ Day, for the people not to come together on November 1. That is a good idea,” he said.

He stopped short of the idea, however, since he said that allowing 30 percent capacity into the public and private cemeteries will still be manageable with social distancing, face masks, and face shields.

EO No. 128, which first placed the province under the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) on June 1, originally allowed up to 50 percent in public gatherings.

EO No. 183, still an MGCQ order, amended the provision down to 30 percent based on the governor’s experience while going to church for masses.

“But we do have a rule now in our [EO] that [mandates] 30 percent of the venue capacity. That might be manageable, 30 percent with face mask and face shield. That was 50 percent previously, but I’ve went to the church when it was 50 percent and it was still crowded. It would be dangerous and that’s why we reduced it,” he said.

The governor said that a decision on what will happen during the Nov. 1 and 2 may be made by the end of September. (Joseph B.A. Marzan and ERS)