DILG XII Regional Director Josephine Cabrido-Leysa, CESO III, showed her commitment to tackle the issue head-on regarding the management of deceased Covid-19 victims via another schedule of video conference attended by members of the Management of the Dead and Missing (MDM) cluster for Covid-19 headed by the DILG.
The online meeting on April 8 was attended by the PNP, BFP, DOH, AFP, DSWD, OCD, Philippine Red Cross, Governors of the provinces in Region XII, City Mayors of Gen. Santos City and Cotabato.
In her statement prior to the formal start of the teleconference, Dir. Leysa believes that the proper handling of the dead Covid 19 victims “should now be tackled, as inconvenient it may seem, and despite the low number of fatalities in the Region.”
She added, “We need to provide a well-coordinated and systemic approach in disposing the remains and at the same time help in managing the bereaved families.”
“As we all know, Filipinos have the inherent respect for the dead and we want to honor and preserve that,” Dir. Leysa quipped.
In the said video-conference, Dir. Leysa presented the pre-and-post-disaster guidelines of each member agency, outlining the scope of their role and functions and that of the LGUs.
One of the basic guidelines for a Muslim victim, for example, is to be buried in a Muslim cemetery or if time allows, be buried in the family’s preferred site. The burial will be according to the religious traditions, which sets the time of burial before sundown.
The DOH, according to the pre-disaster guidelines, shall lead the packaging and removal of the remains from a referral facility, home, isolation unit or special care facility.
Funeral parlors are likewise mandated to provide vehicle transporting the remains to the funeral homes and to the burial site and if the need arises, the LGU has to provide support and augmentation.
The remains of Covid 19 victims shall be processed and cremated, within 12 hours. However, there must be a close coordination between the LGU and the family if the latter would opt for cremation. Currently, there is only one crematorium in Gen. Santos City and another one in Kidapawan City. Meanwhile, the host LGU shall facilitate the transport of the remains to the funeral parlor service provider but the expenses shall be shouldered by the relatives or next of kin.
The BFP through its Regional Director C/Supt. Louie S. Puracan had been tasked to provide training videos for the PNP and the DILG.
Aside from these matters, there had been other issues that were considered, like the PPEs to be utilized by those who handle the remains of the Covid 19 victims. There had been some China-made PPEs which can be utilized but the procurement process is being sorted out so that they can be availed of. Cadaver bags need to be procured as well and the DOH has requested that the purchase of these bags, along with the PPEs, will be facilitated by the OCD.
Earlier, the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force on CoVid-19 and the Regional Inter-Agency Task Group (RITG XII) have given directives to Local Government Units to fast-track their Memorandum of Agreements with funeral parlors and crematorium in the Region. The DILG has pledged to send sample MOAs to the LGUs which will be customized to include the handling of the remains of victims of infectious disease like Covid-19.
This was contained in a joint resolution which “enjoins all LGUs to fast-track the forging of MOA with funeral parlors and crematoriums”. Among the general guidelines mandate that bodies of COVID-19 positive patients or PUIs should be cremated within 12 hours from the time of death.
DILG Regional Director Leysa has already declared that the earlier move to speed up the forging of MOAs will ensure that LGUs have clear policies and protocols with regards to the safe handling of COVID-19 positive and Persons under Investigation (PUI) remains.
Furthermore, this will also help ease the pain of grieving families should their loved ones succumb to COVID-19.
“There is a pressing need for LGUs to fast-track the MOAs with their local funeral parlors or nearby crematoriums and put, in detail, the procedure in properly handling these cadavers as we also have to ensure the safety of our frontline workers in the LGUs,” Dir. Leysa explained earlier.
“It is already heartbreaking to lose a family member, and not being able to give a proper farewell or provide proper funeral service that their loved ones deserve will be more devastating for them. With the burial protocols in place, we can help ease the worry of the families with loved ones who perish due to COVID-19,” she further stated.
Finally, Dir. Leysa informed everyone that another partner agency, the DSWD, has existing support mechanisms in place on how to assist the bereaved families by way of fund assistance for the burial and psycho-social interventions.
