Crematoriums in the time of COVID-19

Cremation has ballooned amid the coronanavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) threat in the Philippines, Brigada Special Online series reports.

According to Brigada, this is a result of the recommendations given by hospitals and Department of Interior and Local Government: to cremate bodies of persons who have died due to COVID-19.

Pasay City Cemetery and Crematorium is among those that caters to cadavers from different hospitals. According to one of its embalmers, Romy Elevazo, they arenow receiving about six cadavers a day, up from the usual three to four cadavers they get pre-COVID-19. 

"Ngayon mga medyo lumobo nang kaunti. Ang mga dinadala rito sa isang araw mga anim (na bangkay)," Romy said, adding the cremation process lasts between 30 minutes to two hours.

He said his family doesn't mind Romy continuing his duty even during the COVID-19 pandemic. He would disinfect before going home, anyway.

"'Pag pasok namin sa trabaho sa umaga, nandiyan 'yung mga advice sa amin na 'wag kami masyado maglalapit sa mga infected sa COVID. Maglagay kami parati ng PPE," he said.

"Lahat ng disinfectant na gamit sa katawan namin para makaiwas sa sakit na COVID," he added.

Meanwhile, in Quezon City, the Baesa Crematorium has started operating on March 24. With 1,104 cases and 106 deaths as of Saturday, April 25, QC has the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Metro Manila.

According to Melvin Santiago, a staff member of Baesa Crematorium, they have been operating non-stop since operating on March 24.

They've processed 169 cremations, as of this writing, with approximately eight cadavers being cremated a day.

"Ngayon po bale, umaabot po kami ng walong patay sa isang araw," Melvin shared.

Melvin said aside from the fatigue from their job, they also have to endure the heat from the machine, while wearing their PPEs.

"Kung sa nakakapagod po, nakakapagod po talaga. [Pero] bukod po sa nakakapagod, mainit pa po. Sobrang init pa po ng hinaharap namin na machine," he narrated.

He adds they cannot take off their PPEs until they've processed all the cremations lined up for the day. And even though Melvin has been doing this professionally for six years, he admits to his fears. Melvin is afraid he'll get the virus, and  infect his children.

"Siyempre po natatakot pa rin kasi virus po 'yung sinasabi natin na kumakalat. Sobrang takot din po ako na mahawa 'yung mga anak ko, kaya minsan iniisip ko mag-stay-in na lang sa trabaho para sa kanila," he said.

But he can't stand not going home to his family and as such, he ends his shift by disinfecting himself to keep his children safe. 

Not all cremations are COVID-19 deaths

Baesa Crematorium's supervisor Paolo Hipolito said there are cadavers that have been cremated with no COVID-19 results yet.

"According po sa mga family, kadalasan hindi pa po nila nakikita 'yung mismong result ng test ng COVID dahil nga po may katagalan o hindi n po inabot ng tao 'yung result ng test niya tapos pumanaw na po siya," Hipolito said.

Pasay has experienced the same, accepting a cadaver from San Juan City, whose family wasn't sure if the death was due to COVID-19.

According to the report, the 84-year-old man died because of cardiac arrest. The cadaver still needs to get cremated, said Marose Mendoza, a relative of the dead.

"Una, na-depress lang siya noong unang linggo ng quarantine. Then pina-dextrose namin sa bahay kasi ayaw namin ma-expose sa ospital. Hindi rin kinaya ng system niya medyo nahirapan siya kagabi kaya tinakbo agad namin sa San Juan Medical Center," Marose said.

Since the family wanted to be sure of the cause of death, they had him tested for COVID-19. Even without the result, Marose said they were advised to have the cadaver cremated.

Her father-in-law's ashes is now in an urn, resting at their home, but still, his results aren't ready yet.

"Masakit po sa aming mga pamilya na hindi naman kami biktima ng COVID hindi pa nade-declare, pero kailangan namin i-cremate 'yung bangkay namin," Rose said.

Despite the pain she feels, Rose understood that it had to be done due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Masakit po 'yung pero ito po kasi ganito tayong kalagayan pandemic na po ito wala po tayong magagawa kundi sumunod na lang po," she said.

The frontliners on the other side of our battle against COVID-19

Although Melvin and Romy are not medical frontliners, they believe they are helping the grieving families in their own ways.

"Sa tingin po namin oo nakakatulong din po kami sa kanila dahil nabibigyan po namin sila ng pagkakataon para magkasama ulit kahit nadoon na po sila sa lagay na ash na po sila," Melvin said.

Melvin and Romy said they share the pain of families who have lost their loved ones.

They can only pray for themselves not to get infected and pray for peace for families who have lost their loved ones.

According to the Department of Health (DOH), the nationwide tally of cases climbed to 7,294  with  792 recoveries and 494 deaths. — Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/LA, GMA News