Talisay City cemetery. | Photo Courtesy of CCTODA
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas said the city government will follow the Kalag-Kalag guidelines of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
This means that all cemeteries will be closed from October 29 to November 2, 2021, as mandated by the national agency.
“Ang ako raman gyod as a city mayor, I will follow the DILG. According to DILG, all cemeteries private or public will be closed. So as a city mayor, as government officials, we will follow,” said Gullas.
The mayor inspected the city’s major cemeteries on October 26, 2021, in preparation for the influx of the crowd to the graveyards before November 1 and 2.
Gullas visited the Evergreen Memorial Park, Cebu South Memorial Garden, Talisay City Public Cemetery, Cansojong Public Cemetery, and Tangke Cemetery to assess the situation of each.
“Mao gyod ni akong gibuhat last year nga tuyukon ta tanan is in place sa possible nga modagsa ang mga tawo before magclose ang cemeteries,” said the mayor.
The Talisay City Police has deployed at least 185 personnel in the major cemeteries with 250 force multipliers, 160 City of Talisay Traffic Operations Development Authority (CCTODA), and three disaster teams to augment the police force.
The mayor said that everything is put in place already in the cemeteries including the implementation of the health guidelines, the movement of the public into and out of the cemeteries, as well as the coordination between the barangays and the stakeholders.
“We put in guidelines nga pila ra tawo ang makasulod. Makabisita tanan basta di lang moinom,” said Gullas.
As for the vendors inside the cemeteries, Gullas is leaving the decision to the barangay captains where the cemetery is under jurisdiction.
He said that barangays should set a radius where vendors can sell outside the cemeteries and ensure the implementation. The city government and police forces will help impose the health protocols as well as the security in these vending radius.
For those living in the cemeteries, Gullas said this will be on a case-to-case basis and he needs to talk to the stakeholders including the barangay captains, the cemetery management, and the residents.
“Ang ako nalang, we’ll talk to the barangay. It should be on a case-to-case basis. It’s something we need to talk about. Magsturya pa mi sa pulis, barangay, ug ang mga nagpuyo,” he said.
The mayor urges the public to follow the health protocols at the cemeteries to avoid the transmission of COVID-19. /rcg
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