By Teofilo Garcia Jr.
ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) will deploy 1,463 personnel across the city to ensure public safety and maintain peace and order during the observance of Undas 2026, an official said Monday.
Col. Nordave Calderon, ZCPO officer-in-charge, said in a statement that the deployment includes 958 policemen, 147 personnel from other units, and 358 force multipliers, including barangay (villages) peacekeeping action teams, local government personnel, and traffic enforcers.
“The deployment will cover 46 identified sites, including 32 public cemeteries, five private cemeteries, six memorial parks, and three columbaria, with priority security protocols enforced in eight major public cemeteries and nine major private cemeteries across the city,” Calderon said.
He said police assistance desks, mobile patrols, inspection checkpoints, and public safety signage will also be deployed to facilitate traffic management, crowd control, and immediate police assistance.
Calderon urged the public to follow cemetery rules, secure homes before leaving, avoid sharing real-time locations online, and observe traffic and safety guidelines during Undas.
He said the security preparations are intended to ensure a safe, orderly, and peaceful observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day on Nov. 1 and 2, respectively.
City Administrator Percival Ramos said traffic will be rerouted in large cemeteries, especially those near highways.
He noted that Mayor Khymer Olaso is set to issue two orders for rerouting traffic and prohibiting bladed weapons, alcoholic drinks, sound systems, and flask tumblers in cemeteries.
Meanwhile, the local Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), in coordination with security agencies, port operators, and shipping firms, is also strengthening safety and security measures in line with the port city’s Undas observance.
The security measure, dubbed “Oplan Biyaheng Ayos: Undas 2026, will be implemented from October 28 to November 3. (PNA)
