MASSIVE CROWD Thousands of people gather at the Manila North Cemetery to visit their departed loved ones on All Saints’ Day and All Souls Day.—MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
Filipinos poured into cemeteries by the millions on Friday for a rite to remember their dead.
But the number of visitors at Manila North Cemetery dropped on All Saints’ Day, data from Manila Police District (MPD) showed.
Police estimated that 640,000 have entered the city-owned cemetery as of 4 p.m. Last year, the crowd already peaked at 500,000 at 12 p.m.
Fewer people
“It’s a long weekend so people are probably planning on visiting over the next few days,” said Manila North Cemetery director Roselle Castañeda, who admitted that the number of visitors on Friday was low compared to their estimated 2 million.
On Thursday, over 380,000 people paid their respects to departed family members and friends.
The removal of tomb dwellers from Manila North Cemetery was also a factor behind the relatively smaller crowd, according to MPD Station 3 commander Police Lt. Col. Reynaldo Magdaluyo.
The Manila Department of Public Safety estimated that 4,000 individuals lived inside the cemetery.
More disciplined
“You could see that people are now more disciplined as they followed the rules. They did not try to sneak in deadly weapons,” Castañeda said.
On top of that, 172 street sweepers were also deployed to maintain the area.
A total of 28 closed-circuit television cameras are monitoring the 54-hectare graveyard.
Castañeda added that choke points around the cemetery were gone due to the no-vendor policy implemented by the local government unit.
The rotunda near the entrance—which is also a mass grave for human remains that were found during cleaning operations—used to be surrounded by vendors selling street food, clothes, flowers, candles and even cell phones.
Lower sales
However, there were still several hawkers selling food and flowers on alleyways.
A tricycle driver from San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, said that every year he sold flowers in Manila North Cemetery to earn extra cash.
He noted that his sales were low this year because he had to hide his goods in a small alley.
Should the police find him, his flowers would be confiscated, he said.
Other vendors outside Manila North Cemetery also said they did not earn as much because they were barred from entering the graveyard.
“At least the vendors are now tolerable because the numbers decreased and they are not on the main thoroughfare. But vendors are still not allowed inside,” said Castañeda.—WITH A REPORT FROM AFP