During the upcoming “Undas” on November 1 and 2, families hoping to visit the resting places of their loved ones at Tugatog Public Cemetery in Malabon find themselves facing changes. A key section of the grounds — a “Wall of Remembrance” memorial — is currently under renovation, and as a result many of the tombs and mausoleums are inaccessible.
According to visitors and a local report, the cemetery management has limited access to the usual burial sites for safety reasons. Instead, relatives are being asked to leave candles and flowers at the wall, which lists names of those interred, rather than visiting individual graves.
Some families are disappointed, noting that the traditional “in-front-of-the-mausoleum” visit is an important part of their observance. One visitor said:
“Parang masakit sa kalooban… ang anak ko noon may rebulto pa, tapos ngayon wala na.”
Cemetery officials say the renovations started in earlier years and entailed moving and storing remains temporarily, which now keeps that part of the cemetery off-limits.