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Cebu City residents urged to visit cemeteries ahead of 'Undas'

By John Rey Saavedra

October 13, 2021, 8:54 pm

<p>Cebu City Acting Mayor Michael Rama. <em>(File photo)</em></p>

Cebu City Acting Mayor Michael Rama. (File photo)

CEBU CITY – Acting Mayor Michael Rama on Wednesday urged residents here to plan their visit to the cemeteries ahead of the two-day observance of "Undas", or All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day on November 1 and 2, respectively.

As the city is inclined to limit the entry of people in all cemeteries to only those who have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), Rama said the people must still be wary about being in crowded places where transmission of the virus usually occurs.

“We cannot afford to forget our Kalag-Kalag tradition. It is on this note that your Cebu City Government considers it while we still work to be on guard against another probable surge of Covid-19 cases,” he said during a press conference here on Wednesday.

He said Cebuanos could pay respect to their departed loved ones “yet still protect the health and safety of the public (by encouraging) our citizens to start to remember and visit our dearly departed at where they are now rested, still and always observing established protocols”.

The city government will allow all cemeteries here to open beginning October 18 for early visitors who will clean the graves and offer flowers and prayers for their dead relatives, but Rama said “those who would enter these places will be limited at a given time”.

“As you have already read and heard in the news, we are inclined to limit the entry into all cemeteries in the city to only those who have been fully vaccinated,” Rama said, although he is yet to issue an executive order to implement the policy.

He said the contingency plan for the observance of Undas or “Kalag-Kalag 2021” will be in place this week.

Lt. Col. Wilbert Parilla, Cebu City Police Office deputy chief for operations, said authorities also suggested dividing the time for the visitations in the cemeteries, apart from the proposal of the Archdiocese of Cebu to allow entry only of fully vaccinated individuals.

“We also recommended to divide into age limit. There will be a time to allow entry for every age bracket. In that way, they would not cramp together in one time,” Parilla said in mix Cebuano and English in the same press conference at the Plaza Sugbo.

Rama said Cebuanos could still enjoy the holidays and practice the tradition with responsibility, by adopting “proven health protocols, wear face masks and keep social distancing when outside your homes”. (PNA)

 

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