Davao, Cagayan de Oro set stricter rules as they open cemeteries for ‘Undas’

BUKIDNON, Philippines – Davao and Cagayan de Oro cities have set public health protocols to keep COVID-19 and its more transmissible variants from spreading as they prepare to open cemeteries to thousands of people for the first time in more than two years in time for All Saints’ and All Souls’ days.

Cemeteries were off-limits to the public during the week of the November 1-2 holidays since 2020, the year when the COVID-19 pandemic forced governments to prohibit crowding and large gatherings.

But as the Davao and Cagayan de Oro governments decided to allow people to observe the annual tradition in the cemeteries, they regulated visiting hours.

In Davao, eight public cemeteries will be open to the public from 6 am to 8 pm daily beginning October 30 until November.

Davao Mayor Sebastian Duterte, however, allowed the city’s 27 private cemeteries to set the time for the visits.

In Cagayan de Oro, all cemeteries will be open from 6 am to 10 pm from October 29 to November 2, based on the guidelines released by Cagayan de Oro Mayor Rolando Uy’s office.

Uy prohibited people from camping and staying overnight in Cagayan de Oro cemeteries, a tradition observed by many families in the city until the pandemic struck.

Uy called on vaccinated residents to seek booster shots, and observe minimum public health standards when they flock to the cemeteries.

The two local governments also made face mask-wearing mandatory in the cemeteries on October 29 until All Souls’ Day.

Dr. Michelle Schlosser, the spokesperson of Davao City’s COVID-19 Task Force, said the newly-detected COVID-19-Omicron sub-variant XBB and the XBC strain were a cause for worry among health officials.

XBB, a combination of the BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75 variants, appeared to be elusive to protective antibodies.

Schlosser said aggravating the situation is the relatively low number of Dabawenyos who received COVID-19 vaccine booster shots.

She said the Davao City government has appealed to residents to “modify” how they observe the Undas tradition by keeping the cemetery visitation short.

Local officials also advised those with flu or flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough, and colds against visiting cemeteries. 

The Davao City Health Office said it would field its workers to check body temperatures at the entrances of cemeteries and respond to medical emergencies. 

Authorities also advised adults from bringing children five years and younger and the elderly, especially the unvaccinated and those with comorbidities, to the cemeteries.

Mayor Duterte has also ordered vagrants, loiterers, and scavengers prohibited from the cemeteries, and vendors were required to secure special permits from city hall first before they are allowed to sell in designated areas outside cemeteries.

“We need extra layers of protection, and observe social distancing even if these are no longer mandatory in open spaces,” Schlosser said over the city government-run internet Davao City Disaster Radio on Friday, October 21.

For security reasons, Davao and Cagayan de Oro officials also prohibited people from wearing jackets and bringing bags into the cemeteries.

In Davao and Cagayan de Oro, playing loud music, and bringing alcoholic drinks, weapons, and sharp objects are banned in the cemeteries.

As part of the security protocols, authorities said they would disallow the use of drones near the Davao cemeteries beginning on October 30. – Rappler.com