FAMILY members who will visit the graves of their departed ones in public cemeteries in Davao City are only given until October 30 to clean burial areas of their family members as police officers will not allow sharp objects inside the cemetery from October 31 onwards.
Davao City Economic Enterprises officer-in-charge for the operation of cemeteries Joseph Fernandez, during the I-Speak Forum yesterday, advised that concerned families should clean the burial site of their loved ones as early as possible.
"The earlier the better up to October 30 lang kung mahimo, because as far as I know by October 31, ang atong kapulisan naka-deploy na sila, naa natong command post na ginatawag nato so for security reasons ginabawal na (The earlier the better for them to clean, up to October 30 if possible because as far as I know by October 31, our police forces will be deployed and they will set up command post, so for security reasons cleaning is already prohibited)," he said.
Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) deputy officer Angel Sumagaysay, also a guest in the same forum, said that some cleaning tools are among the sharp objects prohibited inside the cemeteries.
In recent years, they have given a leeway to the owner and gave back the tools for as long as it is properly tagged.
Meanwhile, Fernandez added that more than 100,000 are now buried in nine public cemeteries within the city and at least five people visit their office in Wireless a day to inquire for burial assessment.
He said that flood-prone cemeteries such as the one in Panacan is already installed with submersible pump.