Belmonte, EcoWaste: Keep cemeteries trash-free

MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and environmental watchdog EcoWaste Coalition yesterday appealed to the public to keep cemeteries trash-free as they visit their dead during the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.

In a joint statement, Belmote and EcoWaste noted the importance of ensuring the cleanliness of cemetery premises for the “health, safety and convenience” of visitors.

“Keeping cemeteries litter-free is not only pleasing to the eye, but also a good way to show our awareness and responsibility toward the environment,” Belmonte said.

“In line with our thrust of building a livable, green and sustainable city, we join the EcoWaste Coalition in urging residents as well as non-residents to remember the dead in a manner that is ecological and waste-free,” she added.

EcoWaste had urged cemetery-goers to adopt the BTS or “Bawal magTapon sa Sementeryo” mantra, reminding them that littering is an environmental offense under Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act and the Quezon City Environment Code.

“Like Mayor Belmonte, we seek the cooperation of the people who will be visiting cemeteries, memorial parks and columbaria in Quezon City to pay homage to their dead without harming the environment,” EcoWaste national coordinator Aileen Lucero said.

Food leftovers, wrappers, plastic bags, bottles, cups and other single-use disposable plastics, soiled paper as well as cigarette butts are among the littered items during Undas, according to EcoWaste.

Among the burial sites in Quezon City are the Bagbag public cemetery, Novaliches public cemetery, Himlayang Pilipino Memorial Park, Holy Cross Memorial Park and Recuerdo Memorial Gardens.

The city is also home to several columbaria, including the Aeternitas Chapels and Columbarium, Ascension Columbary and Chapels, Christ the King Columbary, Elysium Gardens Columbarium, Garden of the Divine Word Columbarium, Mount Carmel Shrine Columbarium, Sanctuarium, Santuario de Santo Domingo, St. Peter Parish and Shrine Columbarium, St. Vincent Columbary and The Columbary.

Meanwhile, EcoWaste warned the public against imported candle wicks laced with the toxic chemical, lead.

“While locally made candles have braided cotton as wicks, some imported candles, especially those sold at specialty stores selling Chinese prayer articles, may still have lead-cored wicks despite a health advisory issued by the government,” Lucero said.

“To avoid lead poisoning, refrain from using candles with metal wire in the wick unless certified non-toxic and safe,” she added.

The group advised the public to pick candles with cotton or non-metal wicks.