All Saints’ Day: Region remains manageable and peaceful - Police

Authorities noted no untoward incidents during the All Saints’ Day commemoration yesterday.

This thousands flock to cemeteries for All Souls’ Day today, Cebu City residents are reminded not to throw their garbage anywhere, because they may just end up paying a fine.

P/Lt. Col. Gerard Ace Pelare, Police Regional Office (PRO)-7 spokesperson, said that as thousands gathered in Central Visayas’ 420 cemeteries yesterday, the region remained “manageable and peaceful”.

He said that heightened security measures, with the help of other government forces and force multipliers, were enforced in order to keep any troubles from happening.

“Sa atong pagbutang og mga police to prevent the occurrence of crime, atong nakita nga linaw ra ug hapsay ang pag-observe sa Undas 2024,” he said.

Pelare said that though traffic congestion was observed, particularly in urban centers, the overall situation remained manageable and safe.

“Wala pay security breaches nga natala. Of course, we can expect busy gamay ang atong dalan,” Pelare added.

Increased police visibility was also implemented in tourist destinations and other areas of convergence, since authorities anticipated that the number of visitors would significantly grow due to the long weekend.

And because an increase in the number of people also means huge volume of improperly disposed trash, Cebu City’s Environmental Sanitation Enforcement Team (CESET), together with the Barangay Environment Officers, are out there doing their job during the Kalagkalag, even if yesterday was a holiday.

As of press time, CESET already issued close to 60 citation tickets in different cemeteries for littering and for smoking in public spaces.

Cebu City Public Information Officer Ramil Ayuman said even members of the KalagKalag Action Force were not exempted from complying with the local ordinance.

“No exceptions…Kini maoy mensahae ni CESET head Grace Luardo,” Ayuman said in a Facebook post on persons being issued with citation tickets.

He said a barangay tanod of Apas was issued a citation ticket after being caught at the Cebu Memorial Park (Cempark) in Brgy. Banilad.

Most violators issued with citation tickets yesterday were caught in Cempark, Veterans Cemetery, Carreta Public Cemetery, and the Pardo Public Cemetery.

Ayuman said the issuance of citation tickets emphasizes the importance of maintaining cleanliness and respect for public places.

Along with this, the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) is also going after those stealing candles and flowers inside cemeteries, as ordered by Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, after this was brought to his attention during a cemetery visit the other day.

CCPO Director Antoñietto Cañete reminded the police force to keep an eye on thieves in cemeteries.

Aside from policemen, personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Red Cross, and force multipliers have been fielded in cemeteries to ensure the safety and security of people visiting the graves of loved ones.

In particular, the Cebu City Fire Station (CCFS) has deployed 180 personnel in all of the city's cemeteries.

Superintendent Reynaldo Enoc, Cebu City fire marshal, said first aid teams and fire trucks are on standby in major locations for response to emergencies.

“Yung purpose ng pag-visit namin dito is, unang-una, to make na ating mga tao, nandito sa mga post nila. Hindi natin sila makita na pakalat-kalat diha sa gilid,” said Enoc when interviewed while visiting one of the cemeteries.

He urged the public to refrain from bringing prohibited items, such as hammers, knives, and cigarette lighters, along with gasoline, to prevent any risk of fires or accidents.

In terms of travel, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Cebu Port Authority reported that their Oplan Biyaheng Ayos for Undas was effective as everything remained “very manageable”, as of yesterday.

PCG Commodore Weniel Azcuna, who personally checked the situation in the the ports yesterday, said the number of passengers remains steady and CPA has confirmed that vessel operations were running on schedule.

He urged all passengers not to board unlicensed motorized bancas, saying these are unauthorized vessels are unsafe for sea travel.

“We are now deploying most of our personnel sa Visayas looking into colorum nato nga mga banca. Unya manghangyo pud mi sa atong riding public nga dili i-patronize ang atong unauthorized motor banca kay these are very dangerous nga mga sakyanang pandagat,” Azcuna said.

“Naa man tay legitimate nga sakyanang pandagat diri sa Cebu, mga barko, so mao nalang ilang gamiton,” he added.

Marites Añabiza, 39, along with her three children, chose to depart yesterday instead of Thursday, knowing that fewer people travel on Nov. 1.

“Karon ra kay naa may klase (ang mga bata). Mas maayo pud og karon kay mingaw-mingaw na man kay naa may bata, lisod,” she said in an interview with The Freeman.-