City to check cemeteries for an orderly 'Undas'

AN OFFICIAL of the Human Resource and Management Office (HRMO) of City Hall said Monday there will be another round of monitoring to be conducted in the public and private cemeteries Tuesday.

Erwin Alparaque, chief of the City Hall Human Resource and Management Office (HRMO), told reporters Monday that this is to ensure everything will be in order during All Saints' and Souls' Day on November 1 and 2, respectively.

He said City Hall has continued to conduct information dissemination to Dabawenyos, especially on traffic rerouting scheme during Undas.

All agencies under the Oplan Kaluluwa together with the administrators of both public and private cemeteries last week discussed measures to iron out and come up with final preparations.

Alparaque said the initial actual inspection among the public cemeteries began last Firday.

"Tan-awon pa nato unsa pay kakulangan like to regulate the vendors, ug para ma-monitor pud ang cleanliness (We will see what else is needed to be polished such as to regulate the vendors and monitor cleanliness)," he said.

He also said security measures are already mapped out. Security forces, he said, are now prepared as people flock to cemeteries.

He reminded that bringing of sound system, alcoholic drinks, and bladed weapon, among others are prohibited.

"Tumanun lang ang kadtong mga gidili ug dapat buhatun apil na ang rerouting sa TMC (Traffic Management Center) for the comfort and convenience sa public and private cemeteries," Alparaque said.

Davao City Police Director Ronald dela Rosa urged Dabawenyos to secure their houses before leaving to visit their departed loved ones.

“They should make sure to padlock their houses so that robbers won't get inside and ask the neighbors to keep an eye on their houses," dela Rosa said.

He said more than 1,000 policemen will be deployed throughout the city to ensure peace and order.

Traffic Management Center (TMC) chief retired Col. Desiderio Cloribel earlier said about 200 traffic enforcers will be sent out to the big cemeteries in the city.

But in order to reduce traffic congestion, Cloribel called in cemetery administrators not to allow private vehicles to park where pedestrian traffic will be higher.