MANILA Mayor Isko Moreno announced that in an effort to somehow ease the loss of a loved one to COVID-19, the city government is now offering free cremation for Manila residents who pass on due to the coronavirus.
Moreno said the free cremation is being done at the Manila North Cemetery (MNC) and may be availed of as long as the deceased hails from Manila.
The mayor offered the said free services as he noted that under the rules issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases, the bodies of patients who died of COVID-19 must be cremated within 12 hours.
He added that the city government was given information that some private companies charge up to P60,000 to P100,000 for cremation services which is too much for anyone, specially the poor, to shoulder.
“Napakasakit naman na namatayan ka na, ni hindi mo mapa-cremate and mahal mo sa buhay dahil wala kang pambayad sa cremation. Kaya sa pamamagitan ng libreng cremation, sana ay maibsan namin kahit papaano ang hirap na pinagdaraaanan ng mga naiwan ng isang yumao dahil sa COVID-19,” Moreno said.
According to him, relatives of a deceased coronavirus victim will just have to bring a death certificate and their own urn where the ashes may be placed after the cremation.
The one requesting the cremation must present IDs or documents that he or she is related to the deceased, whose death certificate must also be presented.
