THE Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) and the Department of Public Services (DPS) collected around 23 metric tons of garbage from four cemeteries during the commemoration of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days on Nov. 1 and 2, 2019, respectively.
DPS head Joel Biton said they still have to conduct a massive clean-up and collect and haul garbage from cemeteries at dawn on Sunday, Nov. 3.
In Calamba and Carreta cemeteries, considered to be two of the largest Catholic cemeteries in the city, about two and three metric tons of garbage were collected, respectively. Three metric tons of garbage were also collected in Talamban, while 15.5 metric tons of garbage were collected at the Queen City Memorial Garden on Nov. 1 alone.
Biton said they will start cleaning the cemeteries at 1 a.m. on Sunday. He expects the crowd to have thinned by then.
Cenro head John Jigo Dacua pointed out that only a few people were issued citations for violating City Ordinance 1361, or the anti-littering ordinance, but he did not say how many.
“My instruction was to issue citation (tickets) to those who will not heed our enforcers’ simple warning. So far, people were compliant except for one,” Dacua said.
Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella had directed authorities to penalize not only those who brought sharp objects and alcoholic drinks at the cemeteries, but also those who violated environmental laws, specifically the anti-littering ordinance.
Meanwhile, the Police Regional Office 7 reported that the two-day holiday was generally peaceful and orderly.
According to its estimates, around 1.5 people flocked to cemeteries in Central Visayas during this period.
Police seized 237 bottles of liquor, 339 sharp objects and 93 other contraband.
In Cebu City, around 100,000 people have visited cemeteries since Friday, Nov. 1, said P/Col. Geovannie Maines, acting Cebu City Police Office director, adding that there were no crimes reported inside or outside the cemeteries.
“Snappy yung mga tao natin kase (I saw our police officers hard at work because) I myself conducted inspection. Anduon sila (They were there). ‘Yung iba, nag-conduct ng (Some manned) traffic, (and offered) assistance. ‘Yung ibang police, nanduon sa entrance binubuksan talaga yung mga gamit na pinapasok sa luob (The others were at the entrance, opening bags and other packages that were brought in to the cemeteries),” Maines said.
He ordered police personnel who were deployed in the cemeteries to remain in their posts until Sunday as they expect families to visit the graves of their departed loved ones on this day.
The situation in Cebu Province was similarly peaceful.
P/Col. Roderick Mariano, Cebu Provincial Police Office director, said around 700,000 people flocked to the cemeteries in the last two days, based on the information he received from the chiefs of police of towns and component cities.
They also didn’t encounter many contraband at the cemeteries’ entrance.
“We didn’t find many bladed weapons. Apparently, people are now aware what is forbidden and what is not. We’ve disseminated pamphlets with the list of contraband not allowed inside cemeteries,” Mariano said in a mix of English and Tagalog.
A man shot himself in the northern town of Consolacion while another man was arrested for carrying a firearm and illegal drugs in Danao City on Saturday, Nov. 2. But both incidents had nothing to do with All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days, he said. / JJL, AYB OF SUPERBALITA CEBU / PJB