Despite rains, cops prepare for influx of cemetery visitors

Rainshowers since Sunday night have sent many Filipinos paying their respects to their departed loved ones scurrying home from cemeteries in Metro Manila. However, authorities continue to prepare for the influx of visitors to cemeteries on All Saints' Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2). Sate weather forecasters said the rains are not due to any cyclone. “Minsan pasilip-silip ang araw ... dahil yan sa inter-tropical convergence zone (Expect the sun to peep once in a while ... The rains are due to an inter-tropical convergence zone)," Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration forecaster Ben Oris said in an interview on dzBB radio early Monday. Oris said Metro Manila can expect cloudy skies and isolated rainshowers and thunderstorms on Monday. On the other hand, authorities continue to prepare for the influx of Filipinos planning to pay respects to their departed relatives and friends on All Saints' Day as All Souls' Day, the day for remembering the dead, was not declared a holiday. Teams of medical volunteers have set up stations at major cemeteries to help visitors. At the Manila South Cemetery, dzBB’s Nimfa Ravelo reported that police manned information booths while the Army secured the premises. Police also caught unscrupulous vendors selling chicks used to play number games. Earlier, radio dzBB’s Roland Bola reported that predawn drizzles prompted many people spending the night at the Manila South Cemetery to go home. The report quoted Manila police as saying some 60,000 to 70,000 had visited the Manila South Cemetery as of Sunday night. In San Juan City, dzBB’s Sam Nielsen reported that the number of visitors at San Juan Cemetery peaked Sunday night at 2,368 but the number dwindled to 1,545 as of 5 a.m. Monday. Tail-end of cold front to affect Northeast Luzon PAGASA's 5 a.m. bulletin also said the tail-end of a cold front is affecting Northeastern Luzon. "Central and Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms becoming widespread rains over the eastern sections of Southern Luzon and Visayas," it said. It added that Northeastern Luzon will have mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers. The rest of Luzon will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms. Moderate to strong winds blowing from the northeast will prevail over Luzon and Visayas its coastal waters will be moderate to rough. Light to moderate winds coming from the east to northeast will prevail over Mindanao with slight to moderate seas. On the other hand, strong to gale force wind is expected to affect the seaboards of Luzon and Visayas, PAGASA said. It advised fishing vessels and small seacraft not to venture out into the sea and larger craft to be wary of big waves. All Souls' Day 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). –VVP, GMANews.TV