Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas will have an emergency meeting today, Aug. 4, with the Iloilo City COVID-19 Team to discuss possible solutions to the impending problem relative to the cremation or disposition of coronavirus-infected cadavers.
Treñas said the city is looking for an area where the cadavers that cannot be accommodated by the crematorium will be buried.
The city mayor said only the crematorium facility in Balabago, Jaro has temporarily stopped accepting cadavers from Aklan, and the province and city of Iloilo for one week.
“Naga-ampo sila nga for one week indi anay sila magbaton,” said Treñas.
The facility can only process 30 cadavers a day. Recently, a video of cadavers piling up at the said facility waiting to be cremated went viral on social media.
Treñas said those who have no lot in private memorial parks will have problem where they can bury if they have a family member who died due to COVID-19.
He said that while the city has available tombs but burying the cadavers of COVID-19 victims there is not allowed under Department of Health (DOH) protocol. They must be buried on the ground.
Treñas noted that one temporary solution eyed is refrigerated or freezer van for cadavers.IMT
