THE City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) has released traffic plans for major cemeteries in Davao City in preparation for the influx of visitors during All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day.
For Buhangin Memorial Park, one-way traffic will be implemented along Cabantian Road from Buhangin Milan to Mamay Road. No vehicles will be allowed to enter from Cabantian to Jehovah Road. Motorists must exit via Mamay Road, turn right on C.P. Garcia Highway, then right again to Buhangin Road. Parking in front of the cemetery is prohibited. Signages and traffic advisories will be installed.
For the Chinese Cemetery, one-way traffic will be enforced along Sarenas Road from Gahol Street to Bacaca Road. Parking along the Circumferential Road in front of the cemetery will not be allowed. Those coming from Bacaca Road may take J.P. Laurel Avenue, then turn right on Sarenas Street.
For San Pedro, Forest Lake, Orchard, Masonic, Wireless, and Catholic cemeteries, one-way traffic will run from Fr. Selga Street corner F. Torres Street toward Circumferential Road corner Jade Street. Vehicles headed to San Pedro Memorial and Forest Lake may take Jade Street and turn left on Turquoise Street. A regulated no-entry policy will apply to vehicles from Fr. Selga Street corner Circumferential Road going to the Catholic Cemetery.
Visitors to Forest Lake may also take San Rafael Street (Gold Street) to Silver Street, then to Copper Street. Parking in front of the cemetery is prohibited, and signages will be in place.
At Davao Memorial Park, a sidewalk lane will be designated for pedestrians. The outermost southbound lane on MacArthur Highway will be reserved for vehicles entering the cemetery, while the two inner southbound lanes will remain open. Vendors will be located on the northbound side. Vehicles exiting the cemetery must turn right toward Quimpo Boulevard; left turns are not allowed.
Designated loading and unloading zones will be placed after Alexian Brothers. Utility buses from Maa Road must take MacArthur Highway to Sandawa, then proceed to Quimpo Boulevard. Trucks coming from the north will not be allowed entry and must use C.P. Garcia Highway or Quimpo Boulevard.
Cemetery guidelines
All cemeteries will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3, 2025. Private cemeteries may set separate schedules. Overnight stays are prohibited in public cemeteries and allowed only at the discretion of private cemetery administrators.
Pedestrians must follow a one-entrance system; vehicles will observe a one-entrance, one-exit scheme. The city reminded the public to follow traffic rules, park only in designated areas, and observe the Clean As You Go (Claygo) rule.
No burials, interments, or cremations will be allowed from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3, except for immediate cases.
Strict security and health protocols will be enforced, including face masks for vulnerable groups and medical tents at entrances. Prohibited items include drones, firearms, jackets, backpacks, loud music equipment, gambling paraphernalia, alcohol, and sharp objects.
Vendors and food carts are banned near cemetery entrances. Loiterers and scavengers will be denied entry.
Davao City has 35 cemeteries: 10 public, 14 private, and 11 barangay-managed.
Security deployment
The Davao City Police Office (DCPO) will deploy more than 1,192 personnel and police auxiliaries for the observance.
DCPO spokesperson PCap Hazel Caballero said cemeteries will strictly enforce rules and prohibitions. Cleaning, painting, and construction of tombs must be completed before Oct. 30.
Alcohol, videoke machines, gambling items, smoking, firearms, bladed weapons, and drones without permits are all banned within cemetery areas. RGP