Friday, November 02, 2007 All Saints’ Day peaceful despite traffic, drinking By Lizanilla J. Amarga
THE All Saints' Day observance was marred by people collapsing and being rushed to the nearest hospital, traffic, lack of proper lighting, gambling, and drinking of liquors in some cemeteries in Cagayan de Oro City.
But authorities declared Thursday's commemoration as generally peaceful vowing to implement stricter security measures as they expect more people to troop to the cemeteries Friday for the All Souls' Day.
Traffic was observed in the afternoon particularly at the Bulua national highway area where three cemeteries are found -- the Divine Shepherd's Memorial Park, public cemetery at Bulua, and the Greenhills Memorial Park.
Security was tight at the Bulua Integrated Westbound Terminal and Public Market and Agora Bus Terminal as well as in the different seaports in the city and at the Lumbia Domestic Airport.
Bolonsori City Cemetery at Barangay Camaman-an was filled with people as early as the night of October 31.
Reelected Barangay Camaman-an chairperson Jun Acenas estimated the crowd to be around 20,000.
"Pero mas modaghan pa kini ugma gyud (More people will be expected to come tomorrow)," he said.
Around 2 p.m., two persons were reported by different medical teams to have been rushed to the nearest hospital.
One of them was a 70-year-old man who was trying to light a candle for his wife when he stepped on the wooden coffin that gave way.
Another was rushed to the hospital when her blood pressure rose to 200/130 due to the heat and the long walk from the main road towards the city cemetery.
Acenas said the rerouting and the long walk was design for security reasons.
He said they have put up two shifting barangay police to patrol around the city cemetery and six outposts.
"We have already confiscated bladed weapons and liquors," he also said.
Still, there were reports that unscrupulous entrepreneurs buried some liquor bottles already within the city cemetery.
Other persons were able to go through the main entrance and exits because the city cemetery did not have any fence or wall.
"Our barangay police are also augmented by forces from our police precinct 2," Acenas said.
Also, Camaman-an barangay kagawads did some patrol to keep watch over the city cemetery Thursday.
The barangay outposts were able to confiscate more than a dozen knifes, long bolos and other bladed weapons.
They were supposedly brought only to cut down the grasses around their beloved's graves while others claimed to have brought it to cut some food.
Barangay police also confiscated some hard liquor.
SPO1 Buenaventura Ramos reported that his men caught some "Pula-Puti" gamblers who were trying to ride on the All Saints' Day crowd.
There were also some seen playing cards claiming that it’s to keep them awake through the night for their annual vigil.
There were some who complained of the poor lighting system installed by the City Engineers' Office whose personnel were seen Thursday installing some lights.
When darkness hovered and a hard rain came, it was observed that there was not much light from the different posts at the city cemetery.
But barangay officials said they expect describing the Bolonsori cemetery as having an “erratic” power supply area.
At the Chinese Cemetery, everyone was observed to not to have lingered as long as those in the public cemetery.
This as the Chinese Cemetery closes at 6 p.m. daily even during All Saints' Day. Only those who have permits from the local Chinese Oro Chambers are buried at this cemetery.
At Greenhills Memorial Park and Divine Shepherd's Memorial Park, it was observed that the crowd only increased by late afternoon Thursday.
