THE newly-completed Davao City crematorium at the Wireless Cemetery has started operating, but it is only being used for COVID-19 related deaths, Mayor Sara Z. Duterte said Monday.
“Sa karon, ang gina accommodate lang nato is all Covid-19 cadavers lang sa pero pag once mahuman na ang atong pandemic, then all kinds of cadavers referred to us for cremation maka accommodate na,” said Duterte during her program over Davao City Disaster Radio.
The facility can only accommodate for bodies every day and that cremation services, a component of the response of the city government against the pandemic, is free.
She pointed out that the city government has continued tapping privately-run crematoria because its crematorium cannot accommodate the bulk of referrals.
“Kung dili kayahon sa atoang crematorium ang bulk sa referrals for cadavers cremation, then we still utilize our private crematorium. To ensure nga naa gihapoy crematorium nga mag operate, we will operate on the days nga dili mag operate ang private nga crematorium,” she said.
Based on the guidelines of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Epidemiologist and Infectious Disease Specialist, cadavers of COVID-19 patients must be buried or cremated within 12 hours after their deaths.
The city government spent about P14.85 million in building the city crematorium, located at the Davao Wireless Cemetery along Circumferential Road, with the funding coming from its Public Service Enhancement Program and the Bayanihan 1 Grant from the national government.
As of February 7, the Department of Health (DOH) Davao Region reported that 573 died of the virus in the city.
