As the Undas weekend approaches, several people have rushed to clean their relatives' graves in Pasay City and Parañaque public cemeteries as the deadline for cleanup drew near.
In a "24 Oras" report by Marisol Abdurahman on Tuesday, the Pasay City local government set the cemetery cleanup deadline for October 31.
Among those cleaning at the Pasay City Public Cemetery was Ritchi Iridio, who was seen tidying his parents' grave.
“Di namin pinapalinis sa iba. Mas maayos pag kami naglinis (We don't pay others to clean it. It's better if we do it ourselves),” Iridio said.
He shared that cleaning the grave has been his task and tradition since his mother passed away.
“Nag-start na akong [maglinis] kasi October 27 naman na, ilang araw na lang din naman November 1 na,” Iridio said.
(I started cleaning because it's already October 27, just a few days away from November 1.)
Due to the impending deadline for cleanup, municipal and barangay personnel were also busy clearing the grounds.
According to Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto, plans and preparations have already been finalized during meetings to address potential concerns ahead of the All Saints’ Day break.
“Lahat ng concern po rito, lalo na ang mga namumuno sa cemetery, lahat po ito pinag-meetingan. Sana tulong-tulong tayo para po maidaos natin ang Undas nang matiwasay,” Calixto said.
(All concerns here, especially with cemetery administrators, were discussed in meetings. Hopefully, we can work together to observe Undas peacefully.)
Traffic management plans are now being finalized for the area, where around 12,000 visitors are expected to pay respects to their deceased relatives.
The Pasay local government unit reminded the public to keep visited areas clean and peaceful, follow cemetery guidelines, and refrain from prohibited activities, including alcohol consumption, gambling, creating loud noise, and smoking.
At the cemetery, several informal settlers who offer grave-cleaning services were seen waiting for clients. They shared that business was slow compared to previous years.
“Matumal. Walang nagpapalinis… wala yatang mga budget,” said Imelda Rafalle, a cleaner.
(It's slow. No one is hiring us to clean... maybe they don't have the budget.)
“Wala pa po eh. Sa ngayon wala pa po… Sa akin kasi ‘yung inaasahan ko ‘yung mga inaalagaan ko na puntod,” added Joy Medina, another cleaner.
(There are no clients yet. As of now, nothing... For me, I'm relying on the graves I regularly look after.)
According to the Pasay City LGU, measures are already in place regarding informal settlers residing inside the cemetery compound.
“Pine-prepare po 'yan at vini-visit ng ating mga social worker. Inaalam kung saan ang origin nila tapos po talagang nakikipag-contact din kami sa DSWD ng probinsya nila,” Calixto said.
(Our social workers are preparing for that and visiting them. They are checking their origins, and we are contacting the DSWD in their respective provinces.)
In Parañaque, rows of flower and candle vendors were already set up outside the public cemetery, though early visitors remained sparse.
Arnel Ornido was among those who visited early to avoid the heavy influx of crowds on November 1.
“Bilang alaala sa papa ko, siyempre ‘pag [November] 1 na kasi masyadong marami nang tao dito,” Ornido said.
(In memory of my father, and of course, because on November 1 there will be too many people here.)
Barangay personnel were also busy cleaning the grounds, as grave cleaning was allowed only until October 28.
“Ang paglilinis natin hanggang tomorrow na lang po talaga, pati magpasok ng mga pintura… [October] 29 may naka-post na po tayo ditong mga pulis,” said Josephine Martirez, a caretaker.
(Grave cleaning is only allowed until tomorrow, including bringing in paint... By October 29, police officers will already be deployed here.)
The Parañaque local government announced that gatherings of youths inside the cemetery during Undas are prohibited, especially if they are not visiting deceased relatives.
Burials in the cemetery are temporarily suspended from October 27 to November 3. —Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo/LDF, GMA News