More trash in Manila cemeteries due to Paeng

MANILA, Philippines — Severe Tropical Storm Paeng generated more garbage at the Manila North and South Cemeteries ahead of the commemoration of All Saints’ Day.

A total of 518 cubic meters of garbage were collected at the two cemeteries from Oct. 28 to 31, slightly up from the 477 cubic meters of garbage collected during the same period in 2019 or before the pandemic, data from the Manila city government’s Department of Public Services showed.

“This increase can be attributed to the additional garbage generated due to the aftermath of Paeng, like fallen trees and leaves,” the initial report read.

The Manila North Cemetery yielded the most garbage so far this year with 308 cubic meters, while the Manila South Cemetery yielded 210 cubic meters of garbage.

The city has yet to release data on the garbage collected from the two cemeteries during the observance of All Saints’ Day yesterday, which drew hundreds of thousands of visitors.

Over 20,000 people lined up as early as 9 a.m. at the Manila North Cemetery, Manila Police District director Brig. Gen. Andre Dizon said in a dzRH interview yesterday.

This ballooned to 225,261 visitors at the Manila North for All Saints’ Day, while 63 unvaccinated minors were denied entry, according to city hall. Meanwhile, 204,486 people visited Manila South Cemetery yesterday.

The number of visitors at the Manila North Cemetery on All Saints’ Day was lower than the expected one million visitors, which was the number of visitors on Nov. 1, 2019, the last Undas before the two-year closure of the country’s cemeteries due to the pandemic.

Meanwhile, thousands of people went to the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque yesterday.

In an interview with Radyo Pilipinas yesterday, Manila Memorial Park-Sucat manager Jocelyn Capule said that as of yesterday morning, about 21,000 people had visited the cemetery.

Capule said the cemetery had at least 30,000 visitors on Sunday and around 63,000 visitors on Monday.

Capule said there was an increase of about 75 percent in the number of visitors compared to last year, when pandemic protocols were in place.

But compared to the pre-pandemic times, the number is still low.

In the past two days, Capule said the memorial park was open 24 hours, the only cemetery in the city allowed to be open the whole day.

Starting today, the cemetery will be open only until 6 p.m.