Cemetery goers told: Clean as you go
MANILA Mayor Honey Lacuna said solid waste management measures are in place at the Manila North and South cemeteries out of respect for the dead and the living.
As of October 30, some 44 metric tons of garbage have been collected from the North Cemetery, equivalent to over 15 truckloads while around 50 truckloads of trash were hauled at the South Cemetery as of Wednesday.
“Overnight stays are not allowed in our public cemeteries. We expect many more visitors from October 31 to November 2, and possibly until Sunday, November 3, because of the long holiday weekend and better weather,” Mayor Honey said.
“Early visitors were only in the several thousands, totaling not more than 14 thousand, so we expect the visitor tally to match or even exceed last year’s 1.7 million when the Undas holiday is over,” Lacuna noted.
“While we have cleanup measures in place, we still appeal to all cemetery visitors to Clean As You Go or CLAYGO, so that they do not leave trash at the gravesites and along the pathways within the cemeteries. They can bring trash bags with them before they enter the cemetery premises and deposit the filled bags at the exits before they leave,” the Manila mayor requested.
Lacuna also appealed to visitors to refrain from bringing in banned items, such as firearms, knives, alcoholic beverages, and sound systems.
Ensure all passengers buses are roadworthy – DoTR
Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista and Land Transportation Office (LTO) Chief, Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor D. Mendoza II ordered all Regional Directors to ensure the road worthiness of all the passenger buses amid the expected influx of people to bus terminals to go to their hometowns for the observance of the All Saints’ and All Souls Day.
Part of the order was the conduct of random drug testing on both the bus drivers and conductors as Assec Mendoza said their mental and physical preparedness must also be checked since the safety of a number of passengers are entrusted to them.
Mendoza also urged the public to plan their travel well, especially those who will commute to and from their respective provinces, and particularly those heading to the areas affected by the recent weather disturbances.
“Our personnel will be there on major thoroughfares in coordination with other agencies like the Philippine National Police. Our goal is to ensure that this year’s Undas will be peaceful, safe and hassle-free to all our kababayan,” said Assec Mendoza.
He also urged commuters to report any misbehavior on the road through the “Aksyon on the Spot” 09292920865.
For motorists who will be using their own vehicles, Assec Mendoza said they should ensure the road worthiness of their cars, especially if they would be travelling with their family.
“I-check nating maigi ang mga preno, ang mga gulong at ibang mga basic parts ng sasakyan na pwedeng magbigay ng sakit ng ulo sa gitna ng ating biyahe,” Mendoza added. Edd Reyes and Jun Legaspi