BAGUIO CITY — Baguio City Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong has ordered the suspension of work in all city government offices starting noon on Oct. 30 and classes at all levels in public and private schools on Oct. 30 and 31 ahead of the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, or Undas.
The suspension aims to give government employees and students sufficient time to prepare for Undas, travel, and spend time with their families, according to Executive Orders No. 172 and 172-A, series of 2026.
Exempted from the work suspension are city government offices providing essential services, including peace and order, traffic management, disaster risk reduction, CCTV monitoring, emergency 911 operations, social services, sanitation, health and revenue collection. Personnel conducting field operations and drivers supporting these offices are also required to report for work.
Work in national government line agencies will likewise be suspended, except for offices providing critical emergency services, subject to clearance or approval from their respective regional or central offices.
The suspension of work in private businesses and offices will be left to the discretion of their respective heads.
Meanwhile, Sagada in Mt. Province is tightening the rules for its traditional “Panag-apoy” rites this Undas, warning tourists and media that the solemn ceremony honoring the dead is no tourist spectacle.
Visitors may witness the lighting of saeng, or fatwood, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Nov. 1, but only with an authorized tourist guide and from the designated observation area along the road to Globe Tower. The ritual can begin only after the priest arrives and completes prayers at the cemetery altar.
Echo Valley and Paytokan Trail tours will run only from 8 a.m. to noon that day, while a Holy Mass is set for 3 p.m., with photography and loud conversations discouraged during the service.
Authorities will close the cemetery gate from midnight of Oct. 31 until 6 a.m. of Nov. 2, while the second gate will be shut from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 1.
Hard liquor, loud music, jamming, burning plastics and tires, and unauthorized drone flights are prohibited throughout the observance. Drone operations for monitoring purposes will require proper authorization and permits.
Visitors are also urged to wear face masks, bring drinking water, and keep pathways clear.
Parking inside the church compound will be limited, with the gate closing at 6 p.m., once parking is full, or when Holy Mass begins, whichever comes first. Tour drop-offs and pickups must be made at Paytokan Gate, and visitors must carry out their trash and follow instructions from authorized personnel and guides.
Officials said the stricter measures aim to preserve the solemnity of Panag-apoy, protect the environment and maintain public order during the annual observance. They called on visitors to respect local customs and remember that the rite is a deeply rooted community tradition honoring departed loved ones — not a spectacle for entertainment or social media. — Artemio A. Dumlao