Parking not allowed outside cemeteries in Cebu City

CEBU, Philippines – Motorists are not allowed to park outside cemeteries in Cebu City, especially those situated along major roads until Monday, November 2, so as not to disrupt the flow of vehicle traffic.

“Parking, it has to be strictly prohibited in Calamba especially on the side of the cemetery. No parking up to the corner of B. Rodriguez St.,” Mayor Michael Rama said yesterday following an inspection of major cemeteries here.

Aside from this, Rama instructed the city traffic group to enforce the “no loading and unloading” policy near the cemeteries strictly.

Rama anticipated that more visitors will flock the cemeteries today, Sunday, considering that November 2 has not been declared a holiday.

“This will be a different celebration since Monday is a working day for people and they will be more people today and tomorrow but much less on Monday because everybody will go to work,” he told reporters yesterday.

“So everybody should be focused today and tomorrow,” he said, as what he instructed to the deployed personnel particularly to the traffic enforcers, emergency response team, and city police, among others.

Rama instructed the management of the Calamba cemetery to install more traffic railings. He also asked that concerned officials put up instructional signages at a height that they can be seen properly.

“Tarpaulins should be posted higher. In Pardo, that is where I removed the tarpaulins. (I told them), unsa man ni? Kagahi og ulo. They had my briefing. Put any signage or tarpaulins not good for Mahal (midget actress) but for Shaquille O’Neal (international basketball player) kay para bisan daghan ang tawo, makit-an siya,” he said.

Rama is expected to make the rounds again today.

Trash

Meanwhile, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is asking administrators and local government units to provide trash bins at cemeteries.

“Visiting the cemeteries is a valued and cherished tradition among Filipinos as we pray for the eternal repose of the souls and while pray for them, we should also take an extra effort to preserve the environment for the well-being of the living,” said DENR-7 Director Isabelo Montejo.

The EcoWaste Coalition echoed the call.

“Our message is simple: ‘ang sementeryo ay dasalan, hindi basurahan.’ The massive ‘Undas’ littering year in, year out is a gross disrespect for the dead and Mother Earth.  We need to kick this filthy habit and remember our departed loved ones in an earth-friendly and respectful manner,” said the group’s campaigner, Tin Vergara, in a statement. — (FREEMAN)