Filipinos throng cemeteries in Manila for All Saints’ Day

Manila - Filipinos carrying flowers, candles and bags of food thronged cemeteries across the Catholic-majority Philippines on Wednesday, to pay their respects to dead loved ones on All Saints’ Day.

Hundreds of thousands of people fanned out across sprawling graveyards in the capital Manila to hold picnics on tombs, or pray quietly in front of a relative or friend’s final resting place.

Among visitors to Manila North Cemetery was Ms Zenaida Cruz, 77, who walked slowly with her husband to the tomb of her parents and grandparents to offer candles and a prayer.

She used to leave flowers at the grave, but inflation has pushed prices of even simple bouquets beyond her limited budget.

“As long as I can walk, I will still visit, because this is a tradition,” Ms Cruz said. “This tradition won’t fade, but of course it won’t be as grand as before, when there were many flowers and many candles.”

The annual ritual is an ancient Christian tradition honouring all saints and martyrs who died for their faith.

In the deeply religious Philippines, the day is a public holiday to enable people to travel hours to visit graves in far-flung parts of the country.

Police Colonel Arnold Ibay said he expected around a million visitors to Manila North Cemetery, where poor families live alongside the dead in shanties and mausoleums.

Ms Jenny Rose De Vera, 31, was joined by her friends, family and in-laws to offer her partner of 15 years pieces of prawn crackers from a fast-food chain and half a hotdog.

That had been his favourite food before he was killed in a road accident in September.

“It’s important (to visit the dead) so they can still feel that they are still important to us and that we will never forget them,” Ms De Vera said. AFP