As aid and assistance are being extended to the flood victims, I hope the government will also see to it that the dead are also being taken care of. As of this writing, the funeral parlors in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities are refusing to take anymore cadavers not only because the embalmers are overwhelmed but also because of a shortage of formalin and coffins.
If I may suggest, the national government should hire the services of embalmers and carpenters in the neighboring cities and provinces, and have them transported by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and housed by the city governments of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. The plywood can also be purchased in neighboring cities and towns to be hauled by military and DPWH trucks. The DOH should know where to get all available formalin.
—NARCISO NER,
boyner007@yahoo.com