Thousands of Filipinos started flocking to cemeteries in Metro Manila yesterday to visit their dead ahead of the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
Police confiscated hundreds of banned items at three major cemeteries in the metropolis, according to Chief Superintendent Oscar Albayalde, director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).
“So far, no untoward incidents have been reported in 99 cemeteries in Metro Manila,” Albayalde said in an interview.
Authorities seized 710 flammable materials and 150 gardening tools from visitors at the Manila North Cemetery.
The Manila Police District (MPD) confiscated a bladed weapon, 45 flammable materials and 17 gardening tools at the Manila South Cemetery, and two bladed weapons at La Loma Cemetery.
Around 150,000 people visited their dead at the Manila North Cemetery yesterday, the MPD said.
The MPD also put up four police assistance desks at the Chinese Cemetery to assist the public.
The NCRPO had deployed 7,700 policemen to ensure the safety of the people trooping to cemeteries in Metro Manila, Albayalde said.
Albayalde said he was receiving regular updates from his five district directors and 38 police station commanders on security operations in cemeteries, bus terminals as well as vital government and private installations.
Matches, alcohol banned
Matches and rubbing alcohol are prohibited at the Manila North Cemetery to prevent possible fire incidents in one of the most crowded cemeteries in the metropolis, authorities said.
Reports said that some visitors whose matches were confiscated complained because they did not have other means to light candles for their dead.
Police, however, said they have teams patrolling inside the cemetery to provide the visitors with matches or lighters for their candles.
Matches, rubbing alcohol and lighters fall under the category of flammable materials banned in the cemetery.
Bladed items, including knives and gardening tools, were also confiscated from the visitors.
Bus terminals
Police officers manning bus terminals in Metro Manila have not reported crime incidents as thousands of passengers left for the provinces for the Undas.
With the early exodus of people to bus terminals and cemeteries, Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Senior Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar said the situation this year was far better compared to previous years.
Eleazar said police officers did not encounter difficulties in managing the crowd at bus terminals and other public transportation hubs in the city.
Quezon City is home to around 30 bus terminals, five MRT stations and four LRT stations.
Eleazar said people started leaving for the provinces as early as Friday to take advantage of the long holiday break.
Around 6,300 people flocked to eight private and public cemeteries as well as 11 columbaries in the city, authorities said.
Eleazar reminded cemetery goers not to bring banned items such as alcohol, weapons and loud sound systems to avoid inconvenience.
Hundreds of people flocked to cemeteries in the Camanava (Caloocan-Malabon-Navotas-Valenzuela) area to visit and clean the tombs of their departed loved ones.
A barangay official in Malabon said they would coordinate with police to ensure the safety of visitors at the Tugatog public cemetery.
BFP on alert
Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueno has placed the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) on alert for fires and other emergencies that may occur during the All Saints’ Day break.
Sueno ordered the BFP to assist police in maintaining peace and order in cemeteries.
Senior Superintendent Wilberto Rico Neil Kan Tui, director of the BFP-National Capital Region, said BFP personnel would be on duty around the clock.
Tiu said trained rescuers would be deployed to cemeteries and bus terminals to respond to emergencies.
Traffic rerouting
Starting today, a traffic rerouting scheme will be implemented in parts of San Juan City.
Renato Ramos, chief of the city’s public order and safety office, asked the motorists to follow the city government’s traffic rerouting plan.
Ramos said the corner of Boni Serrano and Horseshoe Drive was declared a one-way street all the way to the cemetery and 1st West Crame.
Vehicles coming from EDSA going to Manila should turn right to 2nd Avenue, left to Santolan Road, straight ahead to Mariposa Road, left to Benitez street and straight ahead to Boni Serrano and Ortigas Avenue to their destination.
Those going to the cemetery should take the same route but should turn left along Boni Serrano to their destination.
Jeepneys plying West Crame should drop off their passengers at the corner of Boni Serrano Avenue and Tyler street.
The jeepneys should proceed to their designated terminal along 3rd West Crame to pick up passengers for their return trip to the city proper, Ramos said.
The post Matches, Gardening Tools Banned at MM Cemeteries appeared first on Philippine Star.
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