Iloilo Province has instructed its local government units (LGUs) to identify possible burial sites, either in cemeteries or adjacent lots, for those who died of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) amid a surge in cases.
Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. issued the instruction on Tuesday afternoon after a lone crematorium in Panay island, based in this city, was overwhelmed by the larger number of cadavers for burning and temporarily stopped accepting more bodies.
“Cremation is the first option as per DOH (Department of Health) requirement. But then in the event, like now, that the services of the crematorium (Gegato Abecia Funeral Homes and Crematory) are suspended, the second option is being laid down to the mayors,” said Iloilo provincial administrator Lawyer Suzette Mamon in an interview Wednesday.
Mamon presided over the online emergency meeting called for by Defensor attended by mayors of the province’s one city and 42 municipalities.
As per department memoranda of the DOH and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), she said burial can be done within 12 hours provided that proper handling, sanitation, and disinfection are observed. Handlers of the cadavers need to be wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE).
She said that while there are LGUs that have already identified their sites, yet they have to look into their compliance with the Environment and Sanitation Code.
Parameters needed to observe are the cemetery’s distance from the residential area and to consider its possible seepage or contamination of water source.
The provincial administrator added that there are sensitive issues that they have to let the people and the community need to understand as the cadavers “are not only figures but family members”.
“We do this not because we overtake the customary or cultural and religious practices but we do this because of health protection and preservation of lives,” she added.
DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said burial is allowed due to the limited number of crematoriums in the country. However, the protocols of double (body) bags, adequately sealed and burial within 12 hours have to be properly followed.
Meantime, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said they will be working with the crematory to find a 40-footer -20 degrees freezer van to house the cadavers while waiting for cremation.
The mayor met with the DOH, Office of the Civil Defense (OCD), the Covid team, and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) on Wednesday for the plan.
“The city cannot bury in our area because of our low-land level that will contaminate the underground waters,” he said in a statement posted in his official Facebook account.
In an interview over Aksyon Radyo Iloilo, crematory owner Fely Abecia said that they only stopped accepting cadavers for two weeks as they process the remaining dead bodies but their operation is ongoing.
She said that their crematorium is catering to the whole Panay island and they experienced a surge in the number of cadavers for cremation, mostly coming from Aklan, Antique and Roxas City last week.
“Give me a week or two to finish all of these,” she said.
Currently, their available machine could cremate 20 dead bodies a day. As of Tuesday night, they have around 20 cadavers left for cremation.
Also, they have acquired a new machine expected to be operational in the next two weeks that can accommodate 60 to 80 cadavers for a 24-hour operation.
On Monday, Aklan Governor Florencio T. Miraflores already advised local government units in his province to prepare their burial grounds for Covid-19 fatalities while making sure that protocols are observed.
DOH Western Visayas Center for Health Development (WV CHD) spokesperson for this week, Dr.Daphynie Teorima said the region’s case fatality rate is at 2.29 percent.
The total cumulative deaths reached 1,974 based on the August 3 regional case bulletin.
Source: Philippines News Agency