All Saints’ Day
LIKE in 2020, public and private cemeteries across the country will be closed again on Nov. 1-2 this year due to the still raging coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
In the Philippines and other Christian countries, Roman Catholic, Anglican and Protestant churches celebrate November 1 and 2 as “All Saints’ Day” and “All Souls’ Day,” respectively.
Many local government units have decreed the closure of cemeteries and memorial parks as early as October 29 to prevent the celebrations from becoming virus “superspreaders.”
In some cities and towns, residents have started visiting their dead relatives and friends, knowing full well that cemeteries and memorial parks are closed on November 1 and 2.
“Para hindi magsiksikan sa mga sementeryo, ang mga residente lang ng tatlo o apat na barangay ang pinapayagang dumalaw sa mga patay sa isang araw,” according to a village official.
To enable all residents and even visitors to celebrate this year’s “Araw ng mga Santo” at “Araw ng mga Patay,” the LGUs allow the public to flock to the cemeteries even after November 4.
In the view of many, closing cemeteries and memorial parks on November 1-2 is a move in the right direction considering the fact that the country has not yet achieved “herd immunity.”
Although the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to go down in the National Capital Region (NCR) and other places, medical and health authorities are still worried.
Concerned government authorities plan to fully vaccinate 72 million of the more than 110 million Filipinos by the end of December this year to achieve “herd immunity.”
But due to the many challenges in the government’s inoculation program against COVID-19, which originated from China, only about 24 million Filipinos had been fully vaccinated.
Hindi dapat matigil ang selebrasyon ng “Araw ng mga Santo” at “Araw ng mga Patay” kasi tradisyon na ito sa ating bansa.
Ang kailangan lang ay sumunod tayo sa lahat ng mga health at safety protocol na ipinapatupad ng gobyerno para matigil na ang pagkalat ng nakakamatay na COVID-19.
