Restrictions on funerals mulled

By June 17, 2019Headlines, News

70 – 100 DAGUPENOS DIE MONTHLY

ABOUT 70 to 100 residents of Dagupan City are dying monthly, according to records of deaths being recorded by the Office of the City Civil Registry.

This was bared by Marian de la Cruz, Registry Office 1 of the Dagupan City Office of Civil Registry, when she appeared at a committee hearing  of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) to react to a proposed ordinance seeking to regulate the conduct of funeral processions in the streets of Dagupan on weekdays, especially during rush hours.

De la Cruz told the SP committee on transportation that the reported number of deaths does not include those (including non-residents) in private hospitals and Region 1 Medical Center being registered in Dagupan City.   

Councilor Alvin Coquia, SP chairman on transportation, said the high number of deaths affect the flow of traffic in city streets.

On De la Cruz estimate that about 60 to 70 percent of those dying monthly in Dagupan are indigents, Coquia said the proposed ordinance will include a financial assistance to  indigent families to enable them to hire PUJs to transport relatives to church and cemetery.

Coquia explained the proposed edict bans slow-moving funeral procession and instead encourages mourners to ride on vehicles instead of walking because the slow moving funeral processions create traffic build up on busy streets.

Bernard Tuliao, president of the Association of United Transport Organizations Province-wide, estimated the rental per jeepney for funeral procession use at P500 each one way.     

The hearse and its convoy shall obey traffic rules. The convoy shall stop or gets cut once the traffic signal turns red. There will be no stopping of traffic to allow the hearse and its convoy to pass.

Andy Abalos, operations manager of Abalos Funeral Homes, said a walking funeral procession is normally preferred by kin of the dead because this is part of their tradition and culture.

Coquia said the ordinance will allow walking funeral processions outside the rush hour period and on weekends when traffic is lighter provided these are coordinated first with the Public Order and Safety Office.

Rush hours in Dagupan on weekdays are from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a..m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Leonardo Micua) 

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