The Philippine National Police (PNP) has deployed more than 27,000 police officers nationwide to secure cemeteries and other places of convergence for this year’s observance of All Saints’ and All Souls Days or Undas.
PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said some of these officers would man 4,866 police assistance desks in areas leading to and from the cemeteries, memorial parks, columbaria and other areas where millions of Filipinos are expected to go to remember their departed loved ones.
More than half of those deployed police—or 14,033—were in Metro Manila.
On Tuesday, the chief of the National Capital Region Police Office, Brig. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. and other police officials visited five major cemeteries in Metro Manila, including La Loma Cemetery in Caloocan, Manila North Cemetery in Santa Cruz, San Juan Cemetery in Greenhills, Loyola Memorial Park in Parañaque City, and Bagbag Public Cemetery in Novaliches, Quezon City.
“To maintain peace and order and ensure no one disregards established rules before, during, and after Undas, the deployed personnel will keep the sites under guard until Nov. 3,” said Nartatez.
The NCRPO chief also urged the public not to bring prohibited items such as alcohol, sharp objects, firecrackers, gambling paraphernalia, and other contraband inside the cemetery.
At the Manila North Cemetery, visitors began arriving as early as 5 a.m. and reached 31,000 as of noon, police said.
Around 300 police officers were deployed to secure one of the oldest and largest cemeteries in the capital region.
Visitors will only be allowed to enter the cemetery until 5 p.m. Those already inside the cemetery before 5 p.m. can extend their stay until 7 p.m.
The Manila Police District said it deployed some 300 policemen to secure visitors at the Manila South Cemetery.
MPD Director Col. Arnold Thomas Ibay said officers would screen visitors and enforce the liquor ban inside the cemetery.
He said they expected 300,000 to 500,000 people to troop to the cemetery, lower than recent years, after throngs headed to provinces for the long weekend.
About 200,000 visitors are expected at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City, three times as many as last year.
The memorial park will operate for 24 hours starting Oct. 31.
The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said it has recorded over 620,000 domestic and international passengers at the country’s main gateway ahead of the Undas break. With Macon Ramos-Araneta
The spike in the number of passengers is expected at this time of the year as Filipinos go to their home provinces to mark All Saints and All Souls Days.
Earlier, MIAA officer-in-charge Bryan Co said they are expecting an average of 120,000 to 130,000 passengers daily, or around 1.2 million from Oct. 27 to Nov. 5.
In other developments:
* The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and the EcoWaste Coalition are calling for an eco-friendly and waste-free observance of Undas. MMDA chairman Romando Artes issued a series of reminders for visitors to cemeteries, emphasizing the importance of reusable materials and avoiding disposable items. To reduce waste in the cemetery, Artes urged the people to bring a water tumbler and reusable food packaging instead of disposable ones, as these items help reduce waste and promote a cleaner environment. EcoWaste reminded the public not to litter and dump trash in the cemeteries when visiting the graves of their deceased loved ones. It also urged visitors to use lead-free candles, offer fresh flowers, bring their own water jugs, opt for waste-free meals, and to buy only what they can consume.
* Senator Mark Villar called on the public to be vigilant about the prices of goods being sold during Undas, making sure they do not breach the price caps set by the Department of Trade and Industry. — With Macon Ramos-Araneta
