QC shuts down 5 funeral homes over violations in sanitation rules

The Quezon City government has shut down five funeral homes for alleged violations of sanitation rules and regulations and operating without the necessary permits, a report on "24 Oras" said Tuesday.

The report said inspectors from the city health office found internal organs, buckets of bloods and even a fetus inside a jar in the embalming and dressing rooms of the funeral parlors.

Ordered closed were Urban, Cinco, RPL, Grace, and Villamor funeral homes over alleged violations of Presidential Decree 856 or The Code on Sanitation of the Philippines.

Chapter 21 of the decree states that embalmers must "ensure that no parts of the remains shall be removed during embalming," a rule the five funeral homes reportedly violated.

"Any part of the body ay hindi dapat nakatago [o] nasa kaldero. Dapat, inililibing 'yan," Dir. Ramon Matabang of the QC Civil Registrar Office said.

The five funeral homes also allegedly violated regulations on drainage and waste disposal, and disregarded the safety of its workers by allowing them to work without protective gear.

All of the funeral homes were also found operating without renewed business permits, the report said.

"Mahirap pong i-rehabilitate 'yung isang lugar ng hindi titigil muna sa operation, especially 'yung ganung pagsasaayos ng structural aspect ng lugar. Talaga pong malaki pa po ang isasaayos," Sanitation Chief Dr. Roell Romulo said

Urban Funeral Homes' manager, Susan Cariño, denied the allegations, saying they have the  necessary permits to operate

"Hindi ko po alam talaga po 'yan, 'yung tungkol sa nakita nila dahil hindi naman po ako ang nag-aasikaso po 'pag may patay," Cariño said.

The five funeral homes barely passed any of the requirements for operation during their last inspection in February, the "24 Oras" report said. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News