The Davao City Crematorium continues to exclusively serve bodies of those who died from the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Since it started operating in February last year, the city’s crematorium has granted free services to a total of 291 Covid-19-infected bodies.

Vice presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, during her online show “Sana All For You” on Thursday, said the crematorium was built for the city to meet the requirement in the proper disposal of Covid-19-infected cadavers within 12 hours to reduce the number of bodies in hospital morgues.

Dondee Eralino, head of City Economic Enterprise, cited its importance for the city as it provides a safer and more efficient compliance with the provision of the Sanitation Code of the Philippines.

“This is for free. Wala itong bayad kahit one peso (This does not cost a single peso). From hospitals to the cremation facility, libre lahat (everything is free),” Eralino said.

“At talagang malaking tulong ito sa lahat ng mga kababayan natin dito sa Davao (This is really a big help to all Davao residents),” he added.

The city’s crematorium can only accommodate four bodies per day. At the height of the pandemic when the death rate was at its peak, those who cannot be served by the city’s crematorium were referred to private facilities with the government paying for the fees.

A cremation in a private facility usually costs at least PHP30,000.

The free services at the city crematorium, Eralino said, are still limited to those Covid-19-infected bodies.

Duterte thanked the national government’s Bayanihan One grant that funded the P14.8-million cremation facility.

To avail of the crematorium’s services, relatives of the dead should have a doctor’s referral for immediate cremation, a death certificate, and proof of relationship, before applying at the Lingap Center of Davao City at the Southern Philippines Medical Center or its satellite offices in Toril, Bunawan, Paquibato and Marilog. (PNA)