In Manila's North Cemetery, the capital's biggest, police were in full force to prevent violence, confiscating alcoholic beverages and dozens of knives and other weapons.

A steady drizzle since Friday also failed to dampen the festive mood. And while loud music was prohibited, families managed to hold picnics with karaoke machines stationed under tarpauline tents.

'It's a tradition. We need to respect our loved ones who passed away,' said Ms Carmel Angeles, in her late 60s, as she sat under an umbrella beside the plot of her late husband, ex-Manila police intelligence officer Florenio Angeles.

In cemeteries around Manila, vendors hawked everything from bottled water and food to candles and flowers, photographers said.

Manila police chief Director General Jesus Versoza said thousands of police officers had been dispatched to public cemeteries, and along major highways connecting Manila to provinces to help unclog heavy traffic. -- AFP