ILOILO – For the past 15 years, Elena Paciente of Santa Barbara town looked forward to All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1) and All Souls’ Day (Nov. 2) with hope for extra income from selling candles and snacks. This year, that hope looks dim.
Authorities decreed a weeklong closure of both public and private cemeteries beginning today to avoid massive gatherings that increase the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission.
Elena, like before, has already loaned a small capital and bought candles, candies and chips to trade outside the S anta Barbara Public Cemetery from today until the weekend.
But she is lamenting the slow crawl of sales.
“Tama gid ka pigado. Raku tana tawo [last year] tulad tana gamay,” Elena told Panay News.
Vendors at the public cemetery claim most of them make only P300 in daily sales now, far from the P1,000 to P2,000 minimum sales they had last year.
From Sept. 17 to Nov. 15 excluding the aforementioned dates, cemeteries are open but should only accommodate visitors 30 percent of their capacity.
Jenard Bermejo from Barangay Cuartero in Iloilo City’s Jaro district shares the same struggle with Elena.
Aside from cleaning and maintaining the tomb of his dead relatives, Jenard also accepts jobs from those who would request the graves of their loved ones painted at the Jaro Public Cemetery.
Jenard said that last year, he earned as much as P1,000 a day but this year his daily earnings range between P300 and P500.
“Nagligad daku-daku ang amon income pero subong pigado kay nagsirado ang mga patyo. Sang una ayawan kaw sa mga customers, subong wala gid,” said Bermejo.
Jenard said he understands the direness of the situation and the need for people to be safe from COVID-19.
He cannot help lamenting the loss of what he could have earned from the special occasion.
“Siguro ang tanan nahadlok pa nga maggwa kay ti damo pa ang aton COVID-19 cases mo,” Bermejo added.
Flower vendor Edwin Demonteverde of Barangay Cuartero, Jaro also complained of lesser sales.
Edwin said sales last year was a bit good but these days, Edwin still has plenty of stocks.
“Medyo mahina-hina kon i-compare mo sa previous nga tinuig,” said Edwin.
Whether or not they will decrease prices will depend on the number of buyers, he added.
The cemetery closure order was recommended by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases and approved by President Rodrigo Duterte last month.
It aims to avoid massive gatherings that increase the risk of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) transmission.
Interior chief Eduardo Año tasked all police commanders to ensure that all cemeteries are compliant to quarantine protocols./PN
