A team led by Mandaue City Police Office chief, including those from the disaster risk reduction people and traffic enforcers inspect cemeteries in Mandaue City to ensure that health and safety protocols are being observed. | Photo by Mandaue City Police Office
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — The police, the disaster risk management and traffic personnel are making sure that health safety protocols and preparations to secure the cemeteries are put in place as they conducted an inspection on October 22, 2020 in the city’s cemeteries.
Police Colonel Jonathan Abella, Mandaue City Police Office chief, said that there were fewer people at the cemeteries today, but he was expecting more visitors starting Saturday, October 24, 2020.
Read: Starting Saturday, Mandaue to monitor closely cemeteries
” So far gamay pa nanganhi (So far, there are fewer people who came to visit the cemeteries),” said Abella, who led the inspection team made up of personnel of the MCPO, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) and Traffic Enforcement and Management (TEAM).
Health, safety protocols
Aside from checking of the number of people in the cemeteries, they also made sure that safety protocols were being followed, and they also spoke with the management of cemeteries regarding the safety and health guidelines.
“Sa tanan nato’ng public ug private (cemeteries) nga kinahanglan 30 percent ra sa ilang area ang makasulod,” said Felix Suico, operation head of the city’s DRRMO.
(To all our public and private [cemeteries], it is required that only 30 percent of visitors will only be allowed to enter.)
“Nihangyo mi sa management nga maayo nga naa silay counter murag sa barko, mo provide sila ibutang diri sa security,” Suico said.
(We appealed to the management that they place a counter at the entrance like that of a boat, and they will provide it, which they will place at the security area.)
Abella added that the personnel from MCPO, DRRMO, and TEAM will be augmented in the cemeteries this Saturday, October 24, 2020.
Police
As of now, the MCPO has deployed two police personnel in each of the cemeteries.
“Giabagan pod na sa mga barangay tanod including sa barangay captains. Mirequest mi nila nga i 24 ang ilang shifting para magcheck pod sa gawas sa sementeryo, but ang ato’ng sementeryo, gilimit until 11 p.m kay naa man tay curfew, pa. Ang ilang pagbisita kutob ra alas 10 p.m kay naa man tay curfew ig 11 p.m.” Abella said.
(We have been supported by the barangay tanods including the barangay captains. We requested that they extend their shifts to 24 hours so that they could also secure the outer areas of the cemeteries. But our cemeteries have been limited until 11 p.m. because we have a curfew. So visiting time at the cemeteries will be only until 10 p.m. because we will have a curfew at 11 p.m.)
Traffic
Meanwhile, Arnold Malig-on, TEAM operations chief, said that they would still observe this Saturday to find out if it would be necessary to close some roads.
Read: Mayor Cortes orders closure of cemeteries, columbariums during Kalag-kalag
“Before sa 29 kay sira (cemetery) man after, magsira mi kung if ever mudaghan ang tawo but ig 24, normal traffic plan pa amon’g gamiton,” Malig-on said.
(Before 29 because (cemetery) will be closed after. We will close (roads) if more people will visit, but on the 24th, we will only implement a normal traffic plan.)