Catalons hold wake for Mauricio
May 8, 2003 | 12:00am
ALCALA, Pangasinan The family of Mauricio Catalon, a confirmed case of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), would hold a "regular" wake for him after his ashes were brought here yesterday.
The cancer-stricken, 74-year-old Catalon, 74, got the dreaded virus from his daughter Adela, the countrys first confirmed SARS case.
A nursing assistant in Toronto, Canada, Adela went home to Barangay Vacante here last April 5 to look for an oncologist for her ailing father, not knowing that she was carrying the SARS virus.
Adela died on April 14, while her father passed away a few days later.
Alcala Mayor Juanito Collado told The STAR in a phone interview that the Catalon family has informed Dr. Shirante Parayno, municipal health officer, that they would hold a regular wake for Mauricio after which they would bury his ashes beside Adelas in the public cemetery here.
A traditional wake normally lasts for nine days, Collado said.
Parayno said he talked to Mauricios daughter-in-law Jean after the old mans ashes arrived in Barangay Vacante.
However, Parayno added that family members were still discussing among themselves how long the wake would actually be.
Mauricios ashes were placed in a sealed can. Doctors at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Muntinlupa City have advised the Catalons not to open it.
Mauricios remains were cremated at the San Lazaro Hospitals crematory the other day because no funeral parlor would like to do the job.
Jeans husband, Ricardo, chairman of Barangay Vacante, is still under observation at the RITM since he was among those who had had close contact with Mauricio and Adela.
Collado said it is understandable if some Vacante residents would not attend Mauricios wake.
"Perhaps, only the immediate family members would attend the wake," he said.
He said the SARS scare has not totally disappeared, although he hopes that in due time, the lives of Vacante residents and Alcala folk as well would be back to normal.
Collado said he and the councilors would discuss this weekend if they would eventually push through with the towns fiesta celebration, which was postponed because of the SARS scare.
No less than President Arroyo, accompanied by Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit, World Health Organization representative Jean Marc Olive and Interior and Local Government Secretary Joey Lina, went here last May 2 to officially declare Barangay Vacante as SARS-free.
The Presidents visit was meant to allay the peoples fears about SARS, especially since Alcala folk, particularly Vacante residents, have been humiliated and ostracized following the deaths of Adela and Mauricio Catalon.
The cancer-stricken, 74-year-old Catalon, 74, got the dreaded virus from his daughter Adela, the countrys first confirmed SARS case.
A nursing assistant in Toronto, Canada, Adela went home to Barangay Vacante here last April 5 to look for an oncologist for her ailing father, not knowing that she was carrying the SARS virus.
Adela died on April 14, while her father passed away a few days later.
Alcala Mayor Juanito Collado told The STAR in a phone interview that the Catalon family has informed Dr. Shirante Parayno, municipal health officer, that they would hold a regular wake for Mauricio after which they would bury his ashes beside Adelas in the public cemetery here.
A traditional wake normally lasts for nine days, Collado said.
Parayno said he talked to Mauricios daughter-in-law Jean after the old mans ashes arrived in Barangay Vacante.
However, Parayno added that family members were still discussing among themselves how long the wake would actually be.
Mauricios ashes were placed in a sealed can. Doctors at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Muntinlupa City have advised the Catalons not to open it.
Mauricios remains were cremated at the San Lazaro Hospitals crematory the other day because no funeral parlor would like to do the job.
Jeans husband, Ricardo, chairman of Barangay Vacante, is still under observation at the RITM since he was among those who had had close contact with Mauricio and Adela.
Collado said it is understandable if some Vacante residents would not attend Mauricios wake.
"Perhaps, only the immediate family members would attend the wake," he said.
He said the SARS scare has not totally disappeared, although he hopes that in due time, the lives of Vacante residents and Alcala folk as well would be back to normal.
Collado said he and the councilors would discuss this weekend if they would eventually push through with the towns fiesta celebration, which was postponed because of the SARS scare.
No less than President Arroyo, accompanied by Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit, World Health Organization representative Jean Marc Olive and Interior and Local Government Secretary Joey Lina, went here last May 2 to officially declare Barangay Vacante as SARS-free.
The Presidents visit was meant to allay the peoples fears about SARS, especially since Alcala folk, particularly Vacante residents, have been humiliated and ostracized following the deaths of Adela and Mauricio Catalon.
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