Peaceful ‘Undas’ in Mati

DAVAO ORIENTAL — The observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day was generally peaceful and orderly. This was gathered from the Catholic media reports based on situationers and police station spokespersons. Of help were several assistance hubs with police visibility and safety marshals assigned in the cemeteries on the 1st two days of November. The priests and lay ministers (kaabags) blessed the tombs after the Mass celebrations on the scheduled hours. The families and relatives of the dead gathered for the Eucharist and the awaited blessing, after which a fellowship bonding took place with storytelling and sharing of experiences, especially for those reunited after a long time.

The Catholic radio stations DXHM-AM and DXDV-FM made public service announcements regarding safety and proper and practical measures in visiting the cemeteries and paying respects to our departed brethren. Prayerful silence, placement of lighted candles, cleanliness, well-managed waste disposal, and distant parking spaces were among the observed things that resulted in a smooth celebration of “Undas”. Overnight staying in the cemetery was not tolerated due to the curfew hours.