DAVAO CITY – The P14.8-million city crematorium here is now in operation and is exclusively used to cater to patients who died of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The city government in a statement on Tuesday, Feb. 9 said the newly-completed crematorium is located at the Wireless Cemetery and can cater four cadavers per day. Charges for cremation services will be free, it said.

It added that the construction of the city crematorium has a budget allotment of P14.850 million under the Public Service Enhancement Program of the city and a portion of the Bayanihan 1 Grant from the national government.

On Monday, Mayor Sara Duterte said during her Special Hour over Davao City Disaster Radio the crematorium only caters to COVID-19 patients but will accommodate other cadavers once the pandemic is over.

“Sa karon, ang gina accommodate lang nato is all Covid-19 cadavers lang sa pero pag once mahuman na ang atong pandemic, then all kinds of cadavers referred to us for cremation maka accommodate na (For now, we only accommodate all Covid-19 cadavers but once the pandemic will be over, then all kinds of cadavers referred to us from cremation will be accommodated),” Duterte said.

“Kung dili kayahon sa atoang crematorium ang bulk sa referrals for cadavers cremation, then we still utilize our private crematorium. To ensure nga naa gihapoy crematorium nga mag operate, we will operate on the days nga dili mag operate ang private nga crematorium (If our crematorium cannot handle the bulk of referrals for cadaver cremation, then we still utilize our private crematorium. To ensure that there will still be a crematorium that will operate, we will operate on the days that the private crematorium will not),” she added.

As of February 8, data from the Department of Health (DOH) Davao Region shows that Davao City has 1,353 active COVID-19 cases. The city has recorded a total of 12,109 cases with a total of 10,181 recoveries and 575 deaths.