MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos called on Filipinos to seek the common good and to become better stewards of the nation as they observe All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
In a statement, Marcos said the occasion provides Filipinos an opportunity to fortify their bond for the betterment of their spiritual life “not only with the divine, but also with one another.”
“May this remind us of the values that shall endure through us as a nation: faith, resilience, and hope,” the President said.
According to Marcos, All Souls’ Day is “a time for reflection” through which the deceased faithful who led lives of honor, sacrifice and service are recalled.
All Saints’ Day, the Chief Executive said, is a reminder to strive toward “virtues that have defined the saints with their extraordinary compassion, kindness, and humility.”
“Let this day of memorial rekindle us to be better persons, better Filipinos and better stewards of our beloved nation,” Marcos said.
Taytay Bishop Broderick Pabillo told Catholics to visit their deceased loved ones in the cemetery and pray because their relationships with them did not end with death.
In an interview with Radio Veritas, Bishop Pabillo said, “For us Catholics, this is a big opportunity for us to hear mass in order to pray for our dead, also for us to pray in the cemetery for our deceased loved ones because we know that our relationship with them does not end just because they died ahead of us.”
Hospital in ‘White Code Alert’
The Department of Health (DOH) has placed under “code white alert” all hospitals and health facilities throughout the National Capital Region (NCR) and Calabarzon area.
The declaration, which is effective until tomorrow, is a precautionary measure to ensure the readiness of medical services in light of the expected influx of visitors to the cemeteries and increased travel during the All Souls’ and All Saints’ Days.
The DOH Metro Manila Center for Health Development has activated its regional operation center to monitor events and likewise has coordinated with the Disaster Risk Reduction Management in Health of local government units to activate their preparedness plans and protocols.
It added that health emergency response teams and necessary medical supplies are also on standby, ready for immediate deployment if needed.
At the same time, the DOH urged citizens to adhere to essential health practices during the holiday season such as proper hand hygiene, cough etiquette and respiratory hygiene, utilizing face masks when necessary, particularly in crowded areas.
DOH also encouraged the public to practice safe food handling and preparation methods to protect against food-borne illnesses and food poisoning.
DOH likewise urged parents and caregivers not to bring infants or children as they can easily get sick from exposure when visiting their departed loved ones in cemeteries.
Police deployed
A day before Undas, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has deployed up to 31,974 police officers in cemeteries, transportation hubs, major thoroughfares and other places of convergence nationwide.
Apart from cemeteries, police will also beef up security in tourist spots as they also expect the public to take advantage of the long weekend to take a vacation.
The PNP went on heightened alert on Tuesday which means 75 percent of the 232,000-strong police force are ready for deployment.
PNP public information officer Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo reminded people who will visit their departed loved ones not to bring bladed weapons, liquor, firearms, flammable materials and other prohibited items in cemeteries as these will be confiscated by the PNP manning police assistance desks.
She urged the public to secure their homes if they are going on a vacation, particularly by avoiding posting their activities on their social media accounts and to only ride legitimate public utility vehicles for their safety.
Passenger influx
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista assured the safety and comfort of those traveling either by land, air or sea.
“In the Department of Transportation (DOTr) we have an ‘Oplan Byaheng Ayos’ and we are very much prepared,” to receive the passengers and ensure their safe travel, Bautista said.
The DOTr had also issued more than 700 special permits to bus companies to ensure there would be an adequate supply of buses during the holidays.
At the same time, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said that as of yesterday, a total of 71,944 people have boarded and disembarked from passenger ships.
PPA said they are expecting 1,621,529 passengers to board vessels and other sea craft during the long weekend holiday.
Meanwhile, Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said that they are expecting a significant uptick in international travel during the long weekend
All 44 airports under the Civil Aviation Authority are on heightened alert as numbers of passengers continue to rise. - Rhodina Villaueva, Evelyn Macairan, Rudy Santos, Emmanuel Tupas, Ed Amoroso