By Jann Reymund Tatad

SAN ANDRES, Catanduanes – Officials of a barangay here have found a ghastly strategy to keep residents indoors during the curfew hours as part of the enhanced community quarantine being implemented to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

In Barangay Divino, Chairperson Sammy Dela Cruz has taken to instructing his tanods to wear grim reaper costumes, replete with horror sound effects being played on public address systems, to keep residents indoors.

The ghostly patrols started Tuesday, March 23.

According the Dela Cruz, it was a risky undertaking because it could backfire and cause negative impact on his constituents.

But to reinforce their message that residents stay at home, especially during curfew hours, the barangay has also offered three kilos of rice to the most disciplined household.

Dela Cruz also noted that, if other places could display caskets bearing signs of “Stay at Home, or Stay Inside”, then he thought having his tanods wear grim reaper costumes won’t be too bad.

However, for good measure, the barangay chairman has also borrowed from a local funeral parlor a casket which he would also display on the street.

“Pasalamat kayo nandiyan lang kayo sa loob ng bahay, maraming nagbubuwis ng buhay at may magbubuwis pa para sainyo. Sana sumunod kayo sa Stay-at-Home policy, yun lang ang mai-aambag ninyo sa gobyerno” Dela Cruz narrated.