ACCORDING to Angel Sumagaysay, Davao City's Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO) chief, there were no significant incidents recorded during the observance of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.
Sumgaysay stated in a radio interview on Monday, November 6, that the observance in the city was generally peaceful.
He noted that both before and after the `Kalag-Kalag 2023' event, there were no reported incidents related to the commemoration.
Regarding an incident where a cemetery visitor entered sober but left intoxicated, Sumagaysay commented that it highlights a lack of discipline in some individuals, although not everyone.
He said that despite repeated reminders from the government, some still choose to engage in prohibited behavior.
“Kung responsable lang ang tao enough nanang mga guidelines. Ang mga nahitabo gusto pa gyud nila kay spoonfeeding dili pod na maayo (If people are responsible, then the guidelines would be sufficient. What they want is spoonfeeding, and that is not good),” Sumagaysay said.
Meanwhile, it was observed that some cemeteries, particularly Buhangin and Toril Memorial Park, did not adhere to the guidelines set forth by the PSSO and City Economic Enterprise (CEE).
Some Davao City residents were confused by the restrictions imposed by private cemeteries, which prohibited lighters and matches inside their premises.
Sumagaysay explained that before the commemoration of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, they held meetings with representatives from the security cluster, including the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) and Task Force-Davao (TF-Davao). They requested that the agreed-upon information be effectively communicated on the ground to avoid any confusion.
Angeline Micoy, a visitor to Davao Orchard Cemetery, in a phone interview with SunStar Davao, said that during her visit, some visitors were not allowed to bring tumblers. However, she noted that smaller items like lighters and matches could be easily concealed and not detected by security.
“Overall among visit kay okay lang. Masking duha na ka tuig ang milabay nga gibawalan usa ang tanan nga magpundo sa public place sama ani, pero malinawon gihapon ang pamalakad diria sa Orchard Cemetery pati na sa atong mga auxiliary (Overall, our visit was fine. Even though it has been two years since people were prohibited from staying in a public place like this, it is still peaceful at Orchard Cemetery, including the auxiliary areas),” Micoy said. RGP