More than one million individuals flocked to the Manila North Cemetery in observance of All Saints’ Day on Saturday, 1 November.

According to the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO), the total number of visitors at the Manila North Cemetery reached 1,177,431 from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Manila Police District (MPD) spokesperson Maj. Philipp Ines said the situation in the cemetery remained orderly, noting that over 500 MPD personnel were deployed from the entrance gates to various areas inside the grounds.

“They are not only stationed outside but also patrol inside. We make sure their presence is visible. We are also working with the management of Manila North Cemetery,” Ines said.

Several other agencies also assisted in on-ground operations, including three personnel and one ambulance from the Quezon City DRRMO, and 11 personnel with one firetruck from the Bureau of Fire Protection.

Help desks were set up in front of the cemetery, including the newly implemented “Puntod Finder” for locating the graves of visitors’ departed loved ones, a wristband tagging station for children, and first aid and medical stations.

Around 100 wheelchairs were also made available to assist senior citizens and persons with disabilities entering the premises.

Manila North Cemetery Director Daniel Tan emphasized that cemetery operations are strictly until 9:00 p.m., with authorities ensuring that all visitors leave by that time.

Tan said visitors are still expected on Sunday, though the number is anticipated to be lower.

He added that this year’s observance saw improvements compared to Undas 2024, as fewer items were confiscated at checkpoints.

“That’s why entry is much faster. People really followed the rules,” he added.

For next year’s observance, Tan said they plan to expand the area for child wristband tagging and deploy more personnel, noting that only ten staff were assigned this year.

He highlighted its importance by citing an incident on 31 October, when a seven-year-old child got lost for about 20 minutes but was safely found by another parent who called the contact number written on the wristband.

“We found out when the parents approached us. They said, ‘Thank you very much for the wristband—it really helped us a lot because our child got lost,’” Tan said.