Makati reroutes traffic around 3 cemeteries for All Souls' Day

Starting on Sunday, traffic in streets around three major cemeteries in Makati City will be rerouted for the commemoration of All Souls' Day.

The Makati Department of Public Safety (DPS) said the rerouting will cover streets around the following cemeteries:

• Manila South Cemetery;
• Makati Public Cemetery, and
• Makati Catholic Cemetery.

All Souls' Day, November 2, is a Catholic feast day for remembering the dead. However, millions of Filipinos start flocking to cemeteries as early as November 1, All Saints' Day, also a Catholic feast for honoring all saints, both those who are known and the unknown. Many Filipinos even start visiting cemeteries on Halloween (also known as All Hallows' Eve), October 31, the eve of All Saints' Day (previously called All Hallows' Day). "We want to secure the safe and orderly celebration of All Saints’ Day and road closures and rerouting will surely help, especially with thousands flocking to our cemeteries all in a day," City Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. said on the city's website. The areas to be closed starting at 6:00 a.m. on Sunday are:

• South Avenue, between JP Rizal and Metropolitan Ave.;
• Kalayaan Avenue, between Zapote and Nicanor Garcia (formerly Reposo), and
• Vito Cruz Extension, between South Ave. and Zapote.

Police, health and rescue groups, barangays, NGOs, and other volunteers will set up tents and facilities in these areas. Due to these road closures, JP Rizal will be made two-way from Guadalupe/EDSA up to Trabajo Street in Barangay Olympia during that period. Westbound, Hippodromo Street will be made one-way towards AP Reyes Avenue. On the opposite direction, JP Rizal Ave. from Pasong Tamo will be made one-way up to Trabajo Street, eastbound. One-way traffic along Metropolitan Avenue from Ayala extension to Nicanor Garcia (Reposo) will also be implemented. The stretch of Pasong Tamo from corner JP Rizal to Pasong Tamo Extension will be on its normal flow. Kamagong Street from Zobel Roxas to Dao and from Dao Street to Ayala Avenue extension will also be on its normal flow. By midnight of October 31, DPS said the following roads will also be closed:

Nicanor Garcia (Reposo), between JP Rizal Ave. and Kalayaan;

Pililia, between JP Rizal Ave. and Kalayaan;

JB Roxas, between JP Rizal and Kalayaan;

Kakarong, between JP Rizal and Metropolitan;

Montojo, between South Ave. and Zapote;

Yague, between South Ave. and Zapote;

Panama St., between South Ave. and Zapote; and

Suez St., between South Ave. and Zapote. On November 1, the traffic police and the DPS will allow parking of light vehicles in areas not mentioned in the rerouting scheme. However, one-side parking will be strictly implemented. The cars of violators will be towed. “There will be police and traffic personnel assigned in the areas to give information, as well as maintain peace and order. The city government has also assigned health and rescue groups to respond in cases of emergency. We call on visitors and residents around the cemeteries to cooperate with the rules and authorities, and not only maintain the orderliness, but also the cleanliness of the cemetery and the areas around them," Binay said. –VVP, GMANews.TV