Over 500K visitors flock to Manila North Cemetery on Undas

More than a half a million individuals have visited the Manila North Cemetery on Sunday, November 1 as Filipinos observe All Saints' Day (Undas).

As of 12 p.m., the number of visitors at the country's largest cemetery reached 540,000.

There were already visitors at the cemetery on Saturday, October 31. But only 93,000 have been recorded as of 5 p.m. yesterday.

The cemetery is expecting one million visitors today.

Visitors have arrived as early as before 6 a.m. to pay respects to their departed loved ones.

Earlier in the day, management decided to stop the free rides being offered for visitors due to the heavy crowd influx.

Cemetery director Daniel Tan said the roads inside are no longer passable.

Despite the large number of visitors coming in, security measures remain in place as police personnel conduct inspections at the entrance.

According to GMA News' Darlene Cay, said authorities were confiscated various prohibited items such as broom sticks, cigarettes, flammable objects, sharp objects, umbrellas, among others.

Umbrellas are prohibited inside the cemetery as these can be an inconvenience to others amid the huge crowd, the report said.

PANOORIN: Dagsa na ang mga bumibisita sa Manila North Cemetery, ngayong araw, Nov. 1. As of 11 AM, 400,000 na ang bilang ng mga taong bumibisita, ayon sa pamunuan ng sementeryo. #Undas2026 | via @DarleneCay Bisitahin ang https://t.co/ERIJdxaScM para sa updates. https://t.co/w1euMDfAE2

— GMA News (@gmanews) November 1, 2026

The Manila North Cemetery earlier said it has a "puntod finder" that helps people find the burial spots of their deceased loved ones.

The Manila Public Information Office (PIO) also issued earlier an advisory regarding road closures and traffic rerouting around the Manila North Cemetery. The traffic plan will remain in effect until 11:59 p.m. on November 1.

Manila South Cemetery

Meanwhile, at the Manila South Cemetery, over 129,000 visitors have entered it as of 2 p.m., according to Super Radyo dzBB's Pamela Adriano.

Long queues and large crowds were observed near the cemetery's entrance as their are food stalls as well as food and candle vendors.

The city government of Makati is offering free wheelchair service to senior citizens and persons with disabilities at the entrance near South Avenue.

Due to the large number of visitors, the cemetery's management also reportedly decided to stop free e-trike rides inside the premises.

The management also requested visitors to only use the emergency features in the QR Code it launched for serious matters. According to the report, there were instances wherein the emergency services are used to look for the tombs of their loved ones.

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on Sunday issued safety reminders to the public as Filipinos observe All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day (November 2) during the long weekend.

NCRPO spokesperson Police Lieutenant Colonel Hazel Asilo advised residents leaving their homes to secure their doors, windows and gates to prevent burglaries.

She also urged homeowners to avoid leaving valuable items outside their properties, which could attract thieves.

Manila South Cemetery director Rafael Mendez earlier said they were expecting between 600,000 up to a million visitors on Sunday.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Thursday announced that the implementation of the number coding scheme will be suspended on Monday, November 2.

November 1 and November 2 are special non-working days to allow Filipinos to observe the annual tradition of visiting the tombs of their departed loved ones. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/KG/RF, GMA News