CEBU CITY CEMETERIES OPEN TO VAXXED FOLK ON ‘KALAG-KALAG’
CEBU CITY—Good news: The cemeteries will be opened to the public during “Kalag-kalag”—the Cebuano collective term for the commemoration of the All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
The bad news is that only those who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to enter the cemeteries to visit their departed loved ones.
For those who are not vaccinated against COVID-19, they can visit the cemeteries from Oct. 18 to Oct. 30 and on Nov. 3 onward.
“We are inclined to limit the entry into all cemeteries in the city (on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2) to only those who have been fully vaccinated,” according to Cebu City acting Mayor Michael Rama.
“While we cannot afford to forget our tradition (of visiting our deceased loved ones), it is on this note that your Cebu City government should also consider being on guard against another probable surge of COVID-19 cases,” he added over the weekend.
The entry to the cemeteries on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 is just among the incentives dangled by the city government to encourage city residents to have themselves vaccinated against the virus.
The proposal first came from the Archdiocese of Cebu, which owns at least five major cemeteries in the city.
Last month, Rama issued an executive order giving incentives to fully inoculated residents by declaring that only vaccinated individuals can be allowed to enjoy indoor dining and access to personal care services in salons and spas.
Guidelines
Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera, the city’s Emergency Operations Center deputy chief implementer, said strict guidelines would be imposed on all cemeteries in the city to prevent another surge of COVID-19 cases.
Public and private cemeteries in the city will be open to fully vaccinated individuals from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2.
Policemen and security personnel will be deployed to make sure only those with valid vaccination cards can enter the cemeteries.
As of Oct. 13, a total of 322,063 individuals from the city have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the Cebu City Health Department.
The number is equivalent to over 40 percent of the 700,000 individuals in the city who are eligible to be vaccinated against the COVID-19.
Just recently, Rama announced that City Hall would raffle off a number of prizes for fully vaccinated residents, including a house and lot, a brand-new car, P100,000 worth of gift certificates for a hotel accommodation, P100,000 worth of scholarships, and P100,000 worth of groceries.