Mad rush to go home for All Saints’ Day continues

Secure your belongings, and come early for that bus trip home.

Despite the sweltering heat and the crowd, commuters continue to troop to the Araneta Center bus terminal in Cubao, Quezon City, to take advantage of the long weekend and visit their departed love ones.

An office worker, Ted Santos, stood guard over his boxes of pasalubong as he lined up for a trip to Bicol while his wife and young daughters bought lunch from a convenience store.

“It’s rare to have a vacation like this so I want to spend time with my family and relatives,” he said Saturday afternoon.

Despite not having any more seats where they can rest, he and other passengers seemed to have ignored the discomfort of standing in the queue.

At another queue, a mechanic who identified himself as Jay said he was  taking advantage of the rare long weekend to see his parents in Naga.

“I am the only one working here in Manila so these kinds of holidays are rare. Besides it’s a time to relax and forget work for a while,” he laughed.

The Quezon City Police District expects more people today to flock to the bus terminal for their trip home for All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.

Inspector Jeff Dalsan, precinct commander in the area, said passengers were most likely to come in droves today until Monday in order to make it home by November 1.

“So far, passenger volume is pretty normal. There were no additional buses yet,” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

According to the police official, the buses stationed at the said terminal usually send out 200 to 300 buses on normal days.

Because of the long weekend, police said they were gearing up for an additional passenger volume of 200 percent more.

Policemen and security personnel swarmed the terminal, with trained dogs sniffing at random baggage and boxes for any contraband.

Buses bound for provinces in the Visayas and southern Luzon area usually take 30 to 40 minutes to fill up before pulling out of the terminal, Dalsan said.

The official also reminded passengers not to sneak in any contraband on board the bus, such as firearms, bladed weapons, illegal drugs and liquor.

Police have so far not seized any such contraband since Friday, Dalsan added.