Argao to ban smoking, burning of garbage, littering inside cemeteries

Burning of garbage, littering and smoking will be prohibited while inside cemeteries in the municipality of Argao, south Cebu during the All Saints and All Souls Day celebration to prevent environmental degradation.

But town officials clarified that they will continue to “tolerate” the practice of “palina” or burning grasses or leaves found inside their cemeteries located in Barangays Poblacion, Talaga and Colawin and using its smoke to drive away spirits.

An advisory posted on the town’s Facebook page on Sunday night said that the prohibition on the burning of garbage, littering and smoking inside cemeteries will be implemented from October 31 to November 2.

“Our policemen are deployed in these areas (cemeteries) and will apprehend violators in coordination with traffic enforcers equipped with citation tickets and members of barangay tanods or peace officers,” said PO4 Esteban Albuera, the town’s deputy police chief.

Albuera was also quoted as saying that they will also be setting up assistance centers on their three cemeteries that are managed by the St. Michael Archangel Shrine in Barangay Poblacion and the Talaga and Colawin parishes.

Joselito Miro, head of Argao Traffic Enforcement and Management (A-Team), said that the town’s Clean and Green personnel will be providing receptacles in cemeteries to ensure garbage segregation.

Miro said they expect to apprehend especially violators of the town’s anti-smoking policy which was implemented shortly afetr the assumption of Mayor Stanley Caminero on July 2016.

Caminero, a doctor by profession, had an anti-smoking ordinance passed in his town to protect the health and safety of his constituents.

Miro said that from May to October, they already apprehended around 600 violators of the town’s existing ordinances. Most of the violators were apprehended for smoking while within their jurisdiction and for the violation of their solid waste management program.

He said fewer apprehensions were already made in the last two months.

“This means that our campaign for a change of attitude is creeping into the minds of our residents an this is the essence of Doc Stanley’s Doers of Change (DOC) program,” he said.