Brangay tanods and health workers at cemetery entrance in Bataan. Photo by Ernie Esconde
BALANGA CITY — All public and private cemeteries, memorial parks and columbaries, in 11 towns and one city in Bataan will be temporarily closed for five days from October 29 to November 2, 2021.
This was contained in Resolution No. 45 issued Monday by the Bataan Inter-Agency Task Force for Covid- 19 chaired by Gov. Albert Garcia.
“The task force deems it necessary to temporary close memorial parks, cemeteries and columbaries during the All Saints Day and All Souls Week to prevent mass gathering and mitigate the spread of the coronavirus disease,” the resolution read.
The governor said the temporary closure of cemeteries was arrived at in a consultation with mayors of Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay, Balanga City, Pilar, Orion, Limay, Mariveles, Bagac, and Morong.
Some local government units have issued daily scheduling of barangays in the visit to the graves of the departed like Samal Mayor Aida Macalinao who permitted the cleaning and fixing of tombs starting Monday, October 18.
Barangay health workers in personal protective equipment were at the entrance of cemeteries to require all going inside to register and be taken of their body temperature.
Father Roderick Miranda of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente that owns the Aglipayan cemetery in Barangay Sta. Lucia, Samal said they have coordinated with the LGU of their schedule.
IFI has assigned October 18 to 24 for the cleaning of the graves while the blessing by the priest of the departed will go on from October 25 onwards based on the schedule given to barangays.
Hermosa Mayor Jopet Inton has also prepared a schedule for the daily visitation to the cemeteries per barangay beginning today, Wednesday.
