TACLOBAN CITY – The city government here will deploy 400 personnel for All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day in cemeteries, churches and even in a mass grave site where thousands of people who perished during the onslaught of supertyphoon Yolanda. The personnel that would deployed during the two-day holiday involved 200 policemen, 100 traffic enforcers and 100 City Hall workers, said, assistant city administrator Edilbrando Bernadas. The deployment would ensure that safety of the people who will troop to the cemeteries and churches, he added. The city government is activating its Oplan: Kalag-kalag (All Souls’ Day) where assistance desks will be set up in cemeteries and churches to provide free water, medical needs, communication, emergency and security services
“It’s been the tradition of the city government to deploy police, traffic enforcers and frontline service providers to areas where there are many people every All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day,” Bernadas said.
Personnel from the city health office, city engineering, firemen, city general services, rescue unit, city disaster and risk reduction management office, and street sweepers will be assigned in strategic areas.
This is on top of responders who will man Oplan Kalagkalag desks to be set up in three of the city’s junctions along national roads. More personnel will be deployed at the Holy Cross Memorial Park in Basper village where nearly 3,000 people killed during Yolanda’s wrath were buried. “We have been working to put landmark of families who died. This is to guide them where to exactly light candles and offer flowers to honor dead loved ones,” Bernadas added. The city has six cemeteries – El Reposo, Basper, Superior and Holy Cross Memorial Gardens, Leyte Catholic Cemetery and the Chinese Cemetery. (SARWELL Q.MENIANO)
