VENDORS who plan to sell in Davao City's cemeteries during Undas must secure a Special Mayor's Permit before the observance starts on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, the City Economic Enterprise (CEE) said.
Economic Enterprise Manager Maximo Macalipes Jr. said during the I-Speak media briefing on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, that the requirement covers all concessionaires and vendors operating in designated areas from Oct. 30 to Tuesday, Nov. 3, and that no permits will be issued once Undas begins.
"To avoid compromising the approval process of the regulatory offices, no special permit will be processed once the event has started," Macalipes said, reading from the city's Undas 2026 guidelines.
He said vendors who regularly sell in the cemeteries are already applying for their permits and are coordinating with the CEE for guidance.
"Murag two years na siguro nato gina-implement dayon na sila, naay sila'y special mayor's permit, then nadugangan pa gyud katong atong health card para secure gyud ang atong mga ginabaligya na pagkaon (We have been implementing it for maybe two years, that they have a special mayor's permit, and we have added the health card so the food sold is really safe)," he said.
Vendors must also get health cards and a sanitary permit from the City Health Office before selling.
Designated areas
Vendors will be assigned spaces in each cemetery and must sell only within them, Macalipes said. The CEE, with the Ancillary Services Unit, the City Transport and Traffic Management Office and the Business Bureau, has marked out the vending areas.
"Para naa'y spacing og dili pud sila mag-away-away ang mga vendors, so specific ang ilang area (So there is spacing and the vendors won't fight with each other, their areas are specific)," he said.
Selling along roads, at entrances, and in other unauthorized spots is banned, as are cooking and dining on sidewalks, to keep pedestrians safe, under the guidelines.
Asked whether roving vendors selling water and snacks would be allowed, Macalipes said vagrants and loiterers will not be allowed inside to keep visitors secure.
What vendors cannot sell
Under the guidelines, vendors may sell from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. only. Food vendors may provide only non-plastic spoons, forks, straws, stirrers, cups, and plates, and may sell only sealed bottled water.
Liquor, used clothing or ukay-ukay, knives, cutters, scissors, and other sharp objects, firecrackers, and food on barbecue sticks and skewers are banned.
Vendors must also bring their own bags or bins to segregate biodegradable, non-biodegradable, and recyclable waste, and dispose of trash at collection points set by the City Environment and Natural Resources Office.
Vendors who break the rules face immediate revocation of their Special Mayor's Permit, confiscation of their goods, and other penalties under existing laws and ordinances, according to the guidelines.
Preparation in Panacan cemetery
At the flood-prone Panacan Public Cemetery, floodwater has been drained with help from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) and the Bureau of Fire Protection, Macalipes said. A submersible pump will stay on standby in case it rains during the observance.
"Gipa-standby na lang gyud namo ang submersible pump kay in case, karong November 1 and 2, basi mag-ulan na pud pagkagabii (We have put the submersible pump on standby in case it rains in the evening on Nov. 1 and 2)," he said.
The CEE has stopped accepting burials at Panacan as the city prepares to rehabilitate it.
"Giplano na man nato na i-rehabilitate si Panacan. Karon, gi-stop sa nato ang pagpalubong didto (Since we have planned to rehabilitate Panacan, we have now stopped burials there)," Macalipes said.
He said the cemetery sits on low ground, so digging drainage alone would not solve the flooding, and the plan includes land development to raise it.
Phase 1 of the Panacan rehabilitation is estimated at P92 million. The CEE has also proposed rehabilitating the Lubogan and Ma-a public cemeteries, at P188.3 million and P237 million, respectively. The City Cemetery Board has endorsed the plans to the Local Finance Committee, and no start date has been set, Macalipes said.
Cemeteries cleared
Ahead of Undas, the CEE has cleared public cemeteries in all three districts of the city, including Ma-a, Tibungco, Bunawan, Mintal, Calinan, Tugbok and Tagakpan, Macalipes said.
The clean-up was done with the Ancillary Services Unit, the City Environment and Natural Resources Office, the CDRRMO, the Public Safety Office, the City Engineer's Office, and the City Mayor's Office.
At Ma-a, workers removed large rocks and trimmed trees so visitors can move around the cemetery.
"Na-tangtang na nato ang mga dagkong mga bato. Pati katong mga trees, gi-trimming na nato (We have removed the big rocks. We have also trimmed the trees)," he said.
Public cemeteries will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3. GRS