Over 436K passengers pass through NAIA ahead of Undas weekend

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More than 436,000 passengers have passed through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Oct. 27 to Oct. 29 ahead of the long weekend for Undas, or the Philippines' observance of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day on Sunday and Monday.

According to JP Soriano's report on Friday, the Philippine National Police (PNP) are on full alert at the airport as hundreds of thousands of people travel during the season.

One of them was John Lawrence Soliva, a maritime school student in Manila who was headed back to Palawan for the solemn holiday. He carried with him boxes of donuts for his family at home.

“Family gathering po, nagdadala po kami ng mga pagkain po, doon po kami nagsasalo-salo nanananghalian, kwentuhan lang, bonding lang po as family,” Soliva said.

(It is a family gathering; we bring food, and we get together there to eat, talk, just bonding as a family.)

While some are going home to celebrate Undas, others are leaving the country. Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) Mary Jane Martinez is headed back to Milan, Italy after having an early Undas commemoration.

“Yung lolo po namin kasi ay namatay siya na wala ako, kaya promise ko na pagdating ko, titingnan ko siya at pag-alis ko, dapat makapagpaalam din ako sa kanya,” Martinez said.

(Our grandfather died while I was not here, so I promised that when I come back, I will look at him and then when I leave, I will also bid farewell to him.)

Airport authorities are also still monitoring whether the explosion of Mayon Volcano will affect flights, but as of this evening, no Albay flights have been affected. Residents may check their emails and follow the news to see if their flights have been canceled. –NB, GMA News