Visitors in Naga’s cemeteries given 1 hour to pay respects

By: Morexette Marie B. Erram - 3 years ago

A boy prays at the burial site of the Naga Landslide victims at the city’s Naalad Public Cemetery on All Saints Day on Nov. 1, 2019. | CDN Digital file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines – All cemeteries in Naga City, south Cebu will be closed to the public during this Kalag-Kalag in compliance with the mandates of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID or IATF).

The Naga City government also laid down several guidelines to regulate the influx of visitors between October 23 to October 28, and November 3 to November 5.

These included mandatory wearing of face masks, and visiting hours will run from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

On the other hand, minors below 15 years old and senior citizens above 65 years old will be barred from entry. Drinking and eating inside cemeteries are likewise prohibited.

The local government also told the public that they would be given only one hour to pay their respects as crowd limit would be imposed.

“Gi-awhag nga mogahin kita og usa ka oras (1 hour) nga pag-ampo ug paghandum sa mga minahal sa kinabuhi aron matagaan ang uban og higayon nga makasulod sa sementeryo,” portions of the advisory read.

(We urge visitors to only set aside an hour to pray and remember our loved ones so that we can give others a chance to enter the cemetery.)

“Adunay waiting area nga mapasilongan sa dili makasulod sa sementeryo aron mapatuman ang carrying-capacity sa bakante nga espasyo,” it added.

(There will be a waiting area where visitors, who cannot enter the cemetery yet, can stay so that the carrying-capacity of the cemetery will be implemented.)

In addition, roads within vicinities of cemeteries will be closed from vehicular traffic while some will be conducting a one-way flow to accommodate passing motorists.

Guests carrying vehicles were told to park in a designated space in the Naga Central School.

Naga City, a fifth-class component city in Cebu province located approximately 21 kilometers south of Cebu City, has at least five cemeteries.

To prevent another surge of COVID-19 infections, the national government decided to close cemeteries from October 29 to November 2.

Filipinos will be observing All Saints Day this November 1, and All Souls Day this November 2.

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