Peaceful day of the dead
Rains expected today for All Souls Day
Bring umbrellas and leave alcoholic drinks at home.
Authorities yesterday repeated these public reminders as the annual trek to cemeteries to remember the dead continues today, All Souls’ Day.
Yesterday’s downpour close to noon was an effect of tropical storm Paeng (international name Nuri) which was tracked 985 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes as of 4 p.m. yesterday.
The Pagasa Mactan weather station said they expect rains to continue today as the Visayas will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms.
Cebu Provincial Police Office director, Senior Supt. Noel Gillamac, said the All Saints Day celebration was “generally peaceful”. No reports of criminal violence were recorded as of 8 p.m. but the police remained alert because the critical period is 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.
Candles and memories for thousands who visit tombs in the Carreta cemetery, one of the biggest public cemeteries in Cebu City. A century-old Acacia tree stands witness to the passage of lives. (CDN PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA)
A no-liquor policy was enforced in cemeteries but the ban doesn’t cover the selling and serving of alcoholic drinks outside the cemetery limits.
“We cannot prevent people from drinking,” he said.
Cebu City Police Office director, Senior Supt. Noli Romana, said “Over all, a peaceful celebration. Hopefully this would continue until tomorrow.”
As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the crowd reached 11,000 in Calamba Cemetery, one of the city’s biggest public cemeteries. At the entrance, police screened visitors and confiscated all sharp instruments — at least three bolos, five kitchen knives, an icepick, shovel and a water pipe. They also stopped the entry of masonry tools.
SPOONS AND PAINT THINNER
Owners of the confiscated items were allowed to take the items back when they leave the cemetery.
Police took custody of a 3-year-old girl who got lost. She was later reunited with her mother.
Vendors of candles, flowers, bottled water and food yesterday lamented a drop in sales compared to last year.
Security checks flush out visitors bringing sharp instrument, including masonry tools. (CDN PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA)
Matet Alburo, who sells flowers at the Carreta cemetery, said this was the lowest in the three years since she’s been vending blooms during the All Saints-All Souls holidays.
“Fewer people came to the cemetery compared to the last two years. Plus it is raining, we could hardly sell our flowers,” she said.
From P50 to P150 per bundle of flowers, she slashed her prices to P20 to P80 to recoup her capital.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama went around inspecting crowd conditions in the various cemeteries. He blew his top on seeing heavy equipment of a private contractor parked along V. Rama Ave. where the Calamba Cemetery is located.
Rama expressed his disappointment on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for their failure clear obstructions from one side of the road, where road concreting project is ongoing.
“They lack sensitivity. It’s as if they are kindergartens. There was an agreement that they should stop work and not create worries towards and during the holiday,” he said.
The contractor also left piles of soil and some exposed iron bars which Rama said posed danger to pedestrians and motorists.
“How irresponsible DPWH is … the contractor. I am so mad at them. If they want to become my enemy then I will be their enemy,” he added.
Because of obstructions on the road, the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) implemented a one-way traffic scheme along a portion of V. Rama Ave. from N. Bacalso Ave. to the Guadalupe church.
“We had to make it one-way traffic outright. Otherwise, it would create havoc in the area,” said Rama.
Joy Tumulak, Citom operations head, said traffic was congested on roads near cemeteries as expected but it remained “manageable” and “moving”.
“This was because of public cooperation,” he said.
Road closures near cemeteries started as early as 6 a.m. A no-parking policy was implemented near cemetery gates.
“Peope had to walk but it was more orderly at the entrances,” ” he said.
Members of the Camelotes family who came from Bohol visited the grave of their great grandparents at the Carreta Cemetery. They arrived at 9 a.m. and attended Mass at the chapel before proceeding to their tomb and lit candles on the the gravestones.
“We decided to come today to pay our respects, then tomorrow, we will visit our deceased loved ones back in Bohol,” says Ailene Camelotes.
Victorio Morales hired a handyman to give his father’s tomb a fresh coat of paint.
All Saints’ Day is a busy day for tomb painters at Cebu City Carreta cemetery. (CDN PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA)
“It’s never too late. I didn’t have time and money last week to have this done,” said Morales who held an umbrella to shield the handyman from the sun and rain.
At the farthest corner of Carreta Cemetery, there were no flowers and candles on the row of niches where remains of unidentified victims of the 2008 sinking of the M/V Princess of the Stars were buried.
The remains of at least 42 unidentified victims of the sinking of M/V St. Thomas Aquinas were also buried in Carreta. But unlike the graves of the Princess of the Stars victims, the row of tombs housing the Aquinas victims were lit with candles.
According to Alfredo Zuniga, the ship owner, 2Go, hired him to make sure candles were lit on the graves from November 1 and 2.
“I have not seen any family or individual who came to visit the grave. Good thing the 2GO management made sure that their graves are lighted with candles. I also offer them prayers,” says Zuniga.
While most families came together in the fiesta-like atmosphere to mark the start of “kalag-kalag,” 70-year-old Resurreccion Quijano-Uy was alone at Cebu Memorial Park (CemPark) yesterday.
Uy, a resident of barangay Labangon in Cebu City, said she preferred observing All Saints and All Souls day in a “simple and silent manner.”
She quietly sat beside her parents’ grave while offering prayers for their eternal repose, a personal tradition which she has practiced for years.
No chitchat. No food. Just prayer, she said.
“Ang mga tawo diri mag-contest man mag bawon ug ice cream, lechon ug uban pang pagkaon. Ako simple lang (Most of the people here bring a lot food like ice cream and lechon. But we prefer to keep it simple),” she told Cebu Daily News.
“Once my children and other relatives arrive, that’s time for me to leave. It’s their turn to keep vigil.”
“Kalag-kalag” is also a time for family get-togethers. Yesterday’s downpour did not affect visitors at CemPark since most pitched tents while others stayed inside their family’s mausoleums.
Christina Suarez, who came with her extended family and other relatives, said they plan to spend the night in Cempark. “It’s a time for bonding while remembering our loved ones who already passed away,” said Suarez./Chito Aragon, Edison delos Angeles, Santino Bunachita, Carine Asutilla, Peter L. Romanillos and Michelle Joy L. Padayhag
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