Metro Manila cemeteries closed during ‘Undas’

MANILA, Philippines – The new coronavirus pandemic has claimed in Metro Manila another tradition followed religiously by millions of Filipino Catholics across the country: visiting their deceased loved ones in cemeteries on All Saints’ Day.

The mayors of all 16 cities and a metropolis municipality agreed on Sunday to close cemeteries for the next season of “Undas” amid growing concern over mass public gatherings and the rapid transmission of the COVID-19 virus.

Undas is a local term for All Saints Day or All Saints Day. It is derived from the Spanish word “honor” which means “to honor” and refers to the tradition of honoring the dead on this day.

All Saints’ Day is observed as a public holiday in the Philippines on November 1.

In a text message, the president of the Metropolitan Council of Manila (MMC), Edwin Olivarez, who is also mayor of the city of Parañaque, said that the mayors would discuss the rules of implementation of the closure of cemeteries in the metropolis in a meeting in line Sunday night.

Manila was the first to announce the temporary closure of cemeteries, memorial parks and columbariums in the city on October 31, November 1 (All Saints Day) and November 2 (All Saints Day) and November 3 of November.

‘Urgent need’

Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso said there was an “urgent need to avoid the influx of people.” But he clarified that he would rescind his order if there were changes in the government’s health measures before October 31.

The Manila North Cemetery in Santa Cruz and the Manila South Cemetery in San Andrés are two of the most visited cemeteries in Metro Manila. Last year, at least 930,000 people visited North Manila and at least 700,000 flocked to South Manila, according to estimates by the Manila police.

A Church official previously said that it was not really important for people to go to cemeteries, stressing that visiting the deceased is not an obligation.

“When we celebrate All Saints ‘and All Saints’ Day, what is most important is the prayer for the dead,” said Fr. Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of the public affairs committee of the Philippine Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Diocese of Balanga

Secillano said that families can gather in prayer in their homes.

“They can also light candles and offer Mass intentions in their churches. If they can find time to visit the cemetery while it is still open, it is always a viable option to do so, ”she said.

In Bataan, Balanga Bishop Ruperto Santos said his diocese had already informed the provincial government of its decision to close its Catholic cemeteries from October 30 to November 3.

“We prioritize public safety and protection with this pandemic,” Santos said, urging the faithful to remember their loved ones not only in cemeteries “but also in our homes, especially in our hearts.”

“Remembering them is reliving their good deeds,” he said.

The diocese will organize parish masses for the commemoration of its deceased faithful from October 25 to November 2, which the faithful can see via live broadcast.

Worshipers can text or register online to parish offices the names of their deceased relatives, Santos said.

“We will have guided prayers that will be available on our diocesan website and in parishes for the deceased, that our people can recite in their homes and light candles for them,” he said.

The Metro mayors’ decision to close the cemeteries during the Undas season was welcomed by some citizens, including Therese, who has been regularly visiting her younger sister at a columbarium in Quezon City.

Honoring the dead at home

“We could always remember my sister through prayers at home and visit her at another time before or after Undas,” he said.

However, Therese was concerned that people might crowd into cemeteries before implementation or after the closure order was lifted.

Although thousands of people are still expected to flock to cemeteries before, during or after All Saints’ Day, the general manager of the Manila Metropolitan Development Authority said he would raise the matter with the MMC, as well as plans for the crowd control during the online meeting with the mayors.

In June, the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases revised lockdown guidelines in areas under general community quarantine, allowing visits to cemeteries and memorial parks for a group not to exceed 10 people.

The mayor of Parañaque Olivarez encouraged families to remember their loved ones from the confines of their homes.

Francesca and her family, who regularly visit loved ones at La Loma Cemetery on weekends, a “tradition” that was also broken during the COVID-19 pandemic, lobbied the national government to implement stricter guidelines in cemeteries.

He noted that his regular visits were not the first victims of the quarantine restrictions, but also activities during Holy Week.

“We can carry on with these traditions in a different way. We can commemorate the dead in other ways, ways that can help flatten the curve. It’s a sacrifice that could help [the country]”Francesca said.

–With a report by Tina G. Santos

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