Free cremation for poor Iloilo City residents who died due to COVID-19

The remains of coronavirus-infected residents of Iloilo City who are classified as indigents will be cremated for free.

Mayor Jerry Trenas said the Gegato-Abecia Funeral Homes Inc. & Crematory in Barangay Balabago, Jaro district offers free cremation for the poorest of the poor city residents.

A memorandum of agreement will be signed between the city government and the lone crematorium on Panay Island.

Treñas said he is thankful to the crematorium owners, couple Fely and Greg Abecia, for extending their help to the indigent residents.

The crematorium purchased a new machine to address the rising number of cadavers of COVID-19 patients in the Western Visayas region.

Last August, the crematorium was overwhelmed by COVID-19 corpses and had to stop accepting cadavers from outside Iloilo City.

Aside from the new machine, Gegato-Abecia also purchased a freezer van where cadavers waiting for cremation are stored.IMT