CEBU, Philippines — Despite the influx of people in cemeteries yesterday, the All Saints' Day observance in Central Visayas was "generally peaceful," a situation authorities hoped would continue today, All Souls' Day.
Filipinos traditionally head to cemeteries on November 1 instead of today to pay their respects to their departed loved ones, which is why security personnel were already in place as early as October 31.
Police Lt. Col. Gerard Ace Pelare, Police Regional Office-7 spokesperson, said that as of press time yesterday, they have not received any report of untoward incidents related to the observance of Kalag-kalag 2023.
“Ang atong kapulisan, kauban sa ubang ahensiya sa gobiyerno, nagbantay lang gihapon sa mga sementeryo to make sure everything is okay, as far as security is concern,' he said.
In Cebu City, Councilor Philip Zafra, City Council committee on peace and order chairman, said his monitoring also showed a peaceful observance of Kalag-kalag yesterday.
He believed that the long weekend could have been a factor, as the city's cemeteries have fewer visitors compared to the previous years.
"As per feedback nato sa atong gipang-assign per cemetery, very peaceful and in order," Zafra said.
"Wa gyuy problema, wa gyud gani magdasok, free flowing in going in and out sa sam-ang. So far wala tay untoward incident nga nahibaw-an," he added.
He said that they conducted an ocular inspection of the cemeteries on Oct. 31 and they already saw people visiting the graves of loved ones.
As to the concern raised on social media that a P50 entrance fee was being collected at a cemetery in Barangay Cambinucot, Zafra said they were checking to get to the bottom of the situation.
"Didto na sa Cambinucot...privately owned, but then dili ta magtugot ana. Naghuwat ta sa feedback nila (police kay naay sad tay gi-deploy ngadto," he said.
Zafra said that regardless if the cemetery is privately owned or not, it shouldn't be collecting an entrance fee.
"Nibayad na gud ka sa pagpalubong," he said, adding that also learned that the owner previously "threatened" to close the cemetery.
Meanwhile, City Councilor Rey Gealon, who heads the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) Traffic Management Committee (TMC), said in a statement that the traffic situation in city yesterday was "manageable."
“Expectedly light to moderate traffic in those areas near to and those roads leading to cemeteries. All CCTO traffic enforcers are deployed to direct traffic flow, pursuant to TMC's approved traffic management plan,” he said.
Gealon said at least 600 traffic personnel that were deployed for the observance of All Saints' Day yesterday and All Souls' Day today. - Romeo Marantal, Iris Hazel Mascardo, RHM (FREEMAN)