THE Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) will deploy around 260 security personnel around eight of Mandaue's big churches and eight big cemeteries for the upcoming All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days celebration on November 1 and 2.
MCPO Deputy City Director for Administration and spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Franco Rudolf Oriol said Friday, October 27, 2023, they will start the deployment as early as 4 a.m. of November 1.
The city's eight major cemeteries are St. Joseph Roman Catholic Cemetery, Grosmar Memorial Garden, Manpark Cemetery, A.S. Fortuna Cemetery, Pagsabungan Cemetery, Eversley Cemetery, Manila Memorial Park Mandaue, and Mandaue City Municipal Cemetery.
Churches are the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Barangay Centro, Holy Family Parish in Maguikay, Gethsemane Parish Church in Casuntingan, Christ the King Parish in Alang-Alang, Holy Fatima in Pagsabungan, Grosmar Church in Guizo, San Roque Parish in Subangdaku, and Nativity of Mary Parish in Canduman.
Oriol said they are still waiting for orders from the Mandaue City Government if they will impose a curfew for the cemeteries' visiting hours.
He said they anticipated that roughly 30,000 people would visit the city during the celebration and participate in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) on October 30.
Oriol said that last year, an estimated 25,000 people visited Mandaue cemeteries during the All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days.
He reminded the public to refrain from bringing contraband, such as sharp objects and big speakers that could disrupt the solemnity of the celebration during cemetery visits.
He also discouraged parents from bringing children, particularly toddlers. (HIC)