The Philippine National Police on Monday said the country's observation of Undas (All Saints' and All Souls' days) has been generally peaceful so far. Every year, majority of Filipinos flock to cemeteries to pay their respects to their dearly departed. Even though the Catholic feast day for remembering the dead falls on November 2 (All Souls' Day), people start flocking to cemeteries on November 1 (All Saints' Day) or even earlier. According to a report of radio dzBB's Rodil Vega, the police recorded no untoward incidents so far at the Manila South Cemetery, one of the country's largest memorial parks which has a total capacity of 52,234 graves. The estimated total number of cadavers buried there as of June 30, 2007 was 266,170. On the other hand, at the Manila North Cemetery, Armed Forces reservists arrested a certain "Elmer," 55, for allegedly bringing in two sachets of methaphetamine hydrochloride (shabu), radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo reported. Elmer was turned over to the Philippine National Police teams in the cemetery, the report said. The 54-hectare Manila North Cemetery (or Cementerio del Norte) is one of the biggest and oldest cemeteries in Metro Manila. It is located next to two other important cemeteries: the La Loma Cemetery and the Manila Chinese Cemetery.
Eco group: Remember 3 Rs for visiting cemeteriesAs millions of Filipinos are expected to visit cemeteries this week to pay their respects to their dearly departed, an environment group urged the public to observe "three Rs" — respect, reduce, refuse. EcoWaste president Roy Alvarez requested cemetery visitors to be mindful of the 3Rs (Respect, Reduce, Refuse). These include: 1. Respect the dead and the living by not leaving any litter in the cemetery and surrounding area. 2. Reduce what you bring to the cemetery to just the bare essentials and cut down on stuff used and discarded. 3. Refuse habits and practices that tend to pollute the occasion: smoking in the cemetery, dumping and burning of trash, consumption of disposable, one-time use plastic bags and containers, extreme noise from radio and music, etc. “Let us treat the cemeteries with due respect and refrain from turning these sanctified sites into giant garbage bins," Alvarez said. Read more According to the Manila Cemetery website, some of the notable persons buried at the Manila North Cemetery are:
Jose Maria Basa (1839-1907), propagandist and friend of Dr. Jose Rizal Jose Corazon de Jesus (1896-1932), poet also known as Huseng Batute Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo (1853-1913), painter Arsenio Lacson (1911-1962), former Manila mayor Ramon Magsaysay (1907-1957), former Philippine president Sergio Osmena (1878-1961), former Philippine president Fernando Poe, Sr. (1916-1951), movie actor Fernando Poe, Jr. (1939-2004), movie actor, presidential candidate and National Artist Claro M. Recto (1890-1960), former senator Manuel A. Roxas (1892-1948), former Philippine president, and Pancho Villa (1901-1925), boxer
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV Meanwhile, radio dzbb said the peak of the yearly exodus to the provinces appeared to be over as of Monday, as fewer Filipinos took buses to the provinces on Sunday night. At the Araneta Bus Terminal in Quezon City, only 900 passengers took buses to the provinces compared to an average of 3,000 since Friday, radio dzBB’s Paulo Santos reported. Undas Online Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines launched over the weekend a website — Undas Online — for those who are residing overseas or are physically incapable of visiting cemeteries. The site includes prayers for the deceased such as: Chaplet for the Faithful Departed; Order of Visiting a Cemetery, and Prayers for the Dead. According to a blog of Father Roy Cimagala posted on Undas Online, "thanks to our long Christian tradition, our thoughts go to those who have gone ahead of us, whose remains we visit in the cemeteries or columbaries." "We should not be afraid of death. In fact, we have to expect it and prepare ourselves for it. It cannot be avoided anyway. But even more significant is that we have to realize that we need it. Therefore, our attitude should be that of longing for it, and not just waiting for it and even wanting to escape from it," Cimagala wrote. Health reminders For the millions of Filipinos who are visiting cemeteries during Undas, the Department of Health (DOH) advised them to take precautions against colds, heat stroke, and food poisoning. The DOH said coughs and colds are common during this time because of the changing weather conditions, radio dzBB reported on Monday. On heat stroke, DOH warned that children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to become victims of this life-threatening illness. According to Medicine.Net, heat stroke is a form of hyperthermia where the body temperature is elevated dramatically. "Heat stroke is a medical emergency and can be fatal if not promptly and properly treated," the site said. Meanwhile, the DOH advised those going to cemeteries to bring as their baon relatively dry and warm foods, and avoid those with sauces and “gata" (coconut milk) that can easily become spoiled. - VVP, GMA News 
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