The Philippine National Police will be on full alert status starting today (Friday) as it deployed some 27,000 police personnel across the country to ensure the peaceful observance of All Saints and All Souls’ Days.
PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the full alert status will also cover the conduct of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) on Monday.
Some 20,000 personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard were also tasked to secure the upcoming polls and the observance of Undas, PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo said.
“We can still augment this by as much as 10,000 personnel,” Balilo said.
Balilo said the PCG will concentrate on inter-island provinces where their personnel can respond easily with floating assets and help not only tourists but also poll workers and voters.
The Manila International Airport Authority on Thursday is also bracing for an influx of passengers — by as much as a 10 percent increase compared to ordinary days — in all its terminals starting today.
MIAA officer-in-charge Bryan Co said he expects some 120,000 to 130,000 passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport per day during the Undas week.
In the 10-day period from October 27 to November 5, Co said they expect a total of 1.2 million passengers — mostly in the first 3 days and in the last 3 days.
Meanwhile, starting Oct. 31, Tuesday, the following roads near Manila North Cemetery will be closed to vehicles: the stretch of Aurora Boulevard (from Dimasalang Road to Rizal Avenue), the stretch of Dimasalang Road (from Makiling Street to Blumentritt Road), the stretch of P. Guevarra Street (from Cavite Street to Aurora Boulevard), the stretch of Blumentritt Road (from A. Bonifacio to P. Guevarra Street), the stretch of Retiro Street (from Dimasalang Road to Blumentritt Road), and stretch of Maceda Street (from Makiling Street to Dimasalang Road).
The public may use the following areas to park their vehicles: P. Guevarra Street (from Blumentritt Road to Aurora Boulevard), Feliz Huertas Street (from Blumentritt Road to Aurora Boulevard), Oroquieta Street (from Blumentritt Road to Aurora Boulevard), and Simoun Street (from Dimasalang Road to Mayon Street)
In Navotas City, Gov. Pascual Street will also be closed starting Oct. 31 to Nov. 2.
All vehicles entering and exiting Navotas should use M. Naval Street going to C-4 Road.
In other developments:
* San Miguel Corporation’s infrastructure unit on Thursday said it is ready for possible heavy traffic buildup along its major expressways starting today (Oct. 27) in anticipation of the mass exodus of Filipinos to provinces for the upcoming BSKE and the Undas holidays. It advised motorists to anticipate heavier vehicle volumes along its tollways — the South Luzon Expressway, (SLEX), Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR), the Skyway System, NAIA Expressway, and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX).
* The Department of Trade Industry (DTI) called for the nationwide monitoring of Undas-related commodities ahead of the holidays next week. Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said the Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau, a unit of the Consumer Protection Group at the DTI, is monitoring and inspecting the prices of candles and bottled water. “The goal of this nationwide sweep is to ensure that consumers in the entire country are not faced with unfair or unconscionable pricing practices and that there is an ample supply of these commodities during this significant time. These proactive measures were taken to let the public know that the DTI is here to protect consumers against retailers selling unreasonable prices of commodities, especially during holidays and special occasions where there is a higher demand for certain goods,” Pascual said.
