Pardo Cemetery in Cebu City. | CDN Digital file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City will still be upholding strict regulatory measures against the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the allowable period for cemetery visits.
According to Executive Order No. 92-A, the closure of the cemeteries will begin on October 30, 2020 to November 4, 2020. No visitor, merchant, or unauthorized people may enter the cemeteries then. This is part of the measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Cebu City residents, however, will be allowed to visit the cemeteries from September 26, 2020 to October 29, 2020 or before the closure of the cemeteries during the Kalag-kalag celebrations.
Read: What to expect when visiting Cebu City cemeteries starting Sept. 26
The cemetery will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily starting from September 26 under a limited capacity of at most 30 percent at any given time. which should only accommodate up to 30 percent at any given time.
Only priests and their acolytes may enter the cemetery to hold online masses and perform religious rituals for the All Souls Day celebration on November 2, 2020.
However, burials, cremations, and internment may continue as long as only the immediate family and no more than 10 people are in attendance.
Senior citizens and minors are still not allowed to visit the cemeteries as the stay-at-home order will be in effect.
Visitors must bring their quarantine passes, work identification cards (IDs) can only stay for one hour at a time, a precaution against crowding the cemeteries.
Read: 300 policemen to be deployed to Cebu City cemeteries
No food or drinks can be sold inside the cemeteries, but visitors may bring water as long as they do not litter in the cemetery grounds.
Merchants cannot sell goods in the cemeteries including food, flowers, candles, and tombstones.
In a phone interview, Mayor Labella said that those offering cleaning services for tombs, repainting, and installing of tombstones are still allowed to enter.
“They can still provide their services. We shouldn’t stop people working to clean the tombs or paint. They can still do that,” said the mayor.
He urged the public to follow the health protocols when visiting the cemeteries and take advantage of the given time period so as to celebrate the Kalag-kalag safely.
Here is a copy of the EO 92-A of Mayor Labella:
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