Over 110,000 visit Manila cemeteries

MANILA, Philippines — At least 110,000 visitors flocked to the North and South Cemeteries of Manila yesterday for Undas.

As of 4 p.m., the Manila North Cemetery posted 82,000 visitors, while Manila South Cemetery recorded 31,062 people visiting their departed loved ones within the memorial grounds.

While officials confiscated cutters, cigarettes, alcohol, paint, brushes and broomsticks from visitors, the Manila Police District said no illegal items, such as drugs and firearms, had been seized so far.

“This proves that our information dissemination has been effective,” said MPD spokesman PMaj. Philipp Ines.

As more visitors are expected to flock to the cemeteries today, PLt. Col. Richard Villanueva urged them to bring matchsticks instead of lighters to light their candles.

The Manila Health Department said hypertension, abrasions and nosebleeds were recorded among visitors.

MNC director Daniel Tan ordered the dismantling of at least 10 ladders confiscated along A. Bonifacio Avenue and Tagaytay Street.

“These stairs are used illegally, probably to profit from those who wish to cross to the cemetery,” Tan told The STAR.

Tan also reprimanded over 10 vendors for illegally operating within the cemetery. Officials did not destroy the items but escorted them out of the memorial grounds.

Meanwhile, flower prices at the Dangwa Market have spiked over the weekend as customers purchase flowers for Undas.

Malaysian mums, a popular choice for Undas, had increased its market price from P150 to P350.

A bouquet of assorted flowers is priced between P800 and P1,000, while 20 stems of carnations are priced at P250, 10 stems of daisies at P250 and stems of roses are priced between P400 and P1,200.

The MPD said they observed fewer market-goers this year, with around 2,500 customers on Oct. 30 and around 1,500 customers on Oct. 31.

“We had more customers last year on Oct. 29, probably because fuel and flower prices have been expensive now,” said Rob Arcega, marshal from the Dangwa Market Flowers Association.

Officials from the North and South Cemeteries are expecting to have more visitors today.

Airport

The Media Affairs Office of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) and the New NAIA Infrastructure Corporation (NNIC) recorded a 3.36 percent increase in departing and arriving passengers registered on Thursday and 4.17 percent increase in passengers on Friday.

About 64,721 international passengers and 75,556 domestic passengers were recorded on Thursday and 77,052 international passengers and 76,843 domestic passengers on Friday.

All government personnel are on standby at the NAIA to ensure safe, secure and convenient travel for all passengers and airport users during Undas.

The Bureau of Immigration added more immigration officers at the NAIA to accommodate the increasing number of passengers.

The Office for Transportation Security has canceled the vacation leaves of some 2,529 security screening officers for deployment in airports, seaports, bus terminals and rail stations nationwide to ensure sufficient personnel and uninterrupted security screening operations during Undas.

PNP on the lookout

Applying lessons learned from recent school shootings, the Philippine National Police has beefed its security coverage in cemeteries and other interment sites against potential active shooters who might take advantage of the Undas to carry out attacks.

Apart from the usual petty criminals, PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said they are on the lookout for troubled persons who might target large crowds of people in cemeteries during All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days.

“If there’s an active shooter, what do we do? We have a contingency,” he told reporters during his inspection of the Manila North Cemetery on Friday.

Nartatez said police checkpoints, border control points and other security measures are in place to protect people who will visit 5,311 cemeteries, columbaria and memorial parks.

Nartatez said they have not monitored any specific threat related to the Undas.

Marcoses offer flowers

At the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig, President Marcos and members of the First Family offered flowers at the tomb of former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

The elder Marcos is one of five former presidents buried in the cemetery, alongside Elpidio Quirino, Carlos P. Garcia, Diosdado Macapagal and Fidel V. Ramos.

The Libingan ng mga Bayani is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on All Saints’ Day.

Early, late visitors

Thousands of Filipinos visited their dead and made last-minute trips on the eve of All Saints’ Day.

Cemeteries across Metro Manila have drawn 140,000 visitors as of 3 p.m. yesterday, according to figures from the National Capital Region Police Office.

The NCRPO deployed 12,848 members to secure cemeteries, transport hubs and other areas of convergence. Police have been on full alert status since Friday, though as of yesterday, no untoward incident was recorded.

In Caloocan, over 37,000 visited the eight cemeteries as of 4 p.m., most of them to Forest Park Memorial, Eternal Gardens Memorial Park and Sangandaan Cemetery.

In Parañaque, nearly 30,000 people visited early, the bulk at the Manila Memorial Park.

Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez inspected the situation yesterday and said he expects over 100,000 people from different parts of the country to visit the cemetery, where prominent figures like Ninoy, Cory and Noynoy Aquino are buried.

“Our traffic unit and medical stations are already in place. The disaster response is already there,” Olivarez told dzMM.

Last-minute travelers flocked to Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) for the long Undas weekend.

As of 5 p.m. Saturday, foot traffic reached 139,177, bringing the total passenger count since Oct. 25 to 1,264,059.

Trips for all routes remained available on Saturday, though 58 percent of all rides bound for Bicol had been booked.

For Nov. 1 and 2, over a quarter of Bicol trips have been booked, with the figures expected to rise as Filipinos head home.

Meanwhile, Malabon inaugurated on Friday Phase 1 of the Risen Christ Hall in Tugatog Public Cemetery, an interment building offering 648 interment niches and vaults.  — Rudy Santos, EJ Macababbad, Emmanuel Tupas