Government agencies have prepared measures aimed at ensuring safety and convenience of the people going to and coming from provinces for the traditional observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
Beginning Friday (Oct. 27), the Metro Manila Development Authority will intensify its cleanup drive in selected public and private cemeteries and memorial parks in the metropolis.
MMDA chairman Danilo Lim said 2,886 personnel composed of traffic enforcers and augmentation teams will be deployed in line with the government’s “Oplan Undas 2017 program from Oct. 27 until Nov. 2.
“No dayoff, no absent policy will be strictly enforced among our personnel,” he added.
Aside from the clean-up operations, the Road Emergency Group will set up tents to serve as public assistance centers with ambulances on standby in Manila North and South Cemeteries, Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City and San Juan Public Cemetery for any medical emergency that may occur.
The agency will also dispatch members of the Reckless Driving Enforcement Team, Anti-Jaywalking Unit and Sidewalk Clearing Operations Group at the following bus terminals: Araneta, Cubao, Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, Pasay-Taft, Sampaloc, Dangwa and Mindanao Avenue to prepare for the expected influx of passengers.
The no dayoff and leave of absence policy will also be imposed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
“This will be made as a matter of procedure during full alert status,” said Jesus Martines, chief of the Manila International Airport Authority-Media Affairs Division.
MIAA general manager Eddie Monreal said help desk, doctors and nurses, and staff from the Public Affairs Division will help organize things and assist passengers with their flight schedules and information especially domestic flights.
All terminal managers and assistant managers are expected to perform their regular functions even during the days declared as holidays, aside from MIAA officials and employees who have been authorized to support the management and operations.
Monreal added that to avoid congestions, airline companies will adjust the time in opening check-in counters.
The move is part of the program to ensure the orderly situation and the safety of arriving and departing passengers outside and inside the four terminals, especially NAIA (domestic) terminal 4 where a huge volume of passengers going to provinces are expected.
Monreal advised passengers to be at the airport early to give them lead time to go through the heightened security measures being enforced.
These measures include longer security checks at the entrance and exit points of airport terminals.
Passengers with domestic flights must be at the airport at least two hours before their flight while those with international flights should be there three hours before.
Also part of the airport security measure is the inspection of luggage while passengers underwent rigid body frisking in a bid that no firearms or explosives might be brought inside the airport undetected.
K9 units will also be a common sight in the complex under this situation.
Authorities appealed to civilians including passengers to report any unattended baggage or suspicious persons roaming inside and outside the airport.
They also alerted air travelers to be aware of the presence of members of “Salisi Gang” and other unscrupulous individuals victimizing unsuspecting passengers.
