MANILA (UPDATED) — Thousands of Filipinos filled grave sites across Metro Manila to honor their dead on Tuesday ahead of All Saints' Day or Undas.

At the Manila North Cemetery, visitors began arriving as early as 5 a.m. and reached 31,000 as of noon, police said.

Around 300 police officers were deployed to secure one of the oldest and largest cemeteries in the capital region, which Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos and Metro Manila police chief BGen. Melencio Nartatez Jr. inspected earlier Tuesday.

The full alert status raised by the police ahead of the barangay elections on Monday will likely be in effect until after Undas, Nartatez said.

"Yung ating eleksyon, it's not yet over dahil mayroon pa tayong reverse na gagawin, yung nga paraphernalia, election returns, kailangan natin ma-preserve, magsisimula iyan sa Comelec (Commission on Elections) at sa treasurer's office ng kada lungsod,"

Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna reminded city personnel to maintain the cemetery's cleanliness and the availability of e-trikes for senior citizens and PWDs.

Visitors will only be allowed to enter the cemetery until 5 p.m. Those already inside the cemetery before 5 p.m. can extend their stay until 7 p.m.

MANILA MEMORIAL PARK

Meanwhile, around 200,000 visitors are expected at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City this Undas, triple last year's figures.

"We had 75,000 last November 1 last year, and ini-expect namin na triple yung dami po. Sa ngayon naman, mga sasakyan nakakaikot ng maayos, pero ini-expect mag-traffic," cemetery manager Jocelyn Plaza-Capule told ABS-CBN News.

The memorial park will operate for 24 hours starting Oct. 31.

Visitors can spend the night inside the cemetery before it resumes normal operating hours on Nov. 2, All Soul's Day.

"All out kami sa security ng aming clients this Undas. We have 35 na police na nakakalat na, 52 Barangay BF multipliers, and guards namin from 25, na doble na rin," Plaza-Capule said.

Sonia Santiago visited the tomb of her departed husband on the eve of Undas, in time for her husband's birthday.

"Kaya gusto ko maaga, kaarawan ng aking asawa, at para umiwas kami sa traffic, kasi bukas, sobrang traffic," Santiago said.

She noted that pandemic restrictions have been lifted, reviving the tradition of visiting the dead.

"Maluwag na ngayon and administration ng Manila Memorial Park. Kasi Filipinos are Catholic and naturally religious kaya sine-celebrate natin ito. Ito ay mahalagang araw sa lahat ng mga tao na may pumanaw na kamag-anak," she said.

Santiago applauded the park's efforts to maintain serenity in the place.

"Tahimik at iba talaga nagdadasal. Pinagbabawal ang loud noise at magdala ng mga radio," she added.

Like other cemeteries, pointed objects, liquor, and loud speakers are not allowed. Smoking is also prohibited, and lighters will be permitted only to light candles.

Tomb locators are available for those who may get lost looking for the graves of their loved ones.

Vehicles are allowed to enter the premises.

MANLA SOUTH CEMETERY

The Manila Police District said it deployed some 300 policemen to secure visitors at the Manila South Cemetery.

MPD Director Col. Arnold Thomas Ibay said officers would screen visitors and enforce liquor ban inside the cemetery.

He said they expected 300,000 to 500,000 people to troop to the cemetery, lower than recent years, after throngs headed to provinces to celebrate the long weekend.

Police reminded visitors not to bring deadly weapons, fireworks, alcohol and gambling items.

They also reminded the public to secure their belongings and small children who may get lost inside the property.

LOYOLA MEMORIAL PARK MARIKINA

According to Gabriel Dela Paz, Park Operations Manager of Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina, there are less people who went to the cemetery today compared to last year.

Dela Paz said that there are only around 11,000 people who went today, October 31, which is considerably less than the usual crowd of 20,000 to 25,000 in previous years.

He added that this might be because people started visiting their departed loved ones as early as last Sunday, when they had an estimated 17,000 to 18,000 visitors.

They expect more visitors to come tomorrow, November 1. The peak hours for visitors, according to Dela Paz, are from 10 a.m. to around 12 noon, and again from 4 p.m. until night time.

The memorial park will be open for 24 hours until November 1. By November 2, it will be closed by 8 p.m.

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