THE City Government of Davao will keep public cemeteries open only from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and bar overnight stays from Friday, Oct. 30, to Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, for the observance of Kalag-kalag or “All Souls’ Day”.
The city released separate guidelines for visitors and for vendors and concessionaires in two posts on its official Facebook page on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.
Private cemeteries may set their own hours and allow overnight stays at their management’s discretion, the guideline said.
In a series of updates on its Facebook page, the City Economic Enterprises (CEE), headed by Maximo Macalipes Jr., reported clearing and cleaning public cemeteries ahead of the observance to give visitors clean and safe access.
CEE’s posts show clearing and cleaning at the Ma-a Public Cemetery on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 23 and 24; the Calinan Public Cemetery on Wednesday, Sept. 30; and the Lubogan Public Cemetery on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 7 and 8.
At Ma-a, the work included trimming trees and clearing tall grass and vegetation.
CEE carried out the operations with the Civil Security Unit, Davao City 911, the Ancillary Services Unit, the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro), the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the City Mayor’s Office, and Barangay Ma-a disaster response personnel.
Guidelines for visitors
Pedestrians will use a single entrance, while vehicles will follow a one-entrance, one-exit policy. Visitors will be frisked and have their bags and packages inspected by the city’s security cluster before entering.
Drones, firearms, jackets, backpacks, loud music and karaoke, gambling, alcoholic drinks, and pointed objects are not allowed. Vagrants, loiterers and scavengers will also be denied entry to all cemeteries, the city said.
Medical tents will be set up at cemetery entrances, and maps showing police assistance desks, evacuation areas, medical stations and exits will be posted near main gates. The city recommended face masks for senior citizens, people with comorbidities or weakened immune systems, unvaccinated pregnant women, and anyone with respiratory symptoms.
Visitors are also asked to follow the traffic management plan of the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO).
Guidelines for vendors
Vendors and concessionaires must secure a Special Mayor’s Permit before they start selling, and the city said no permit will be processed once the observance has begun. They must also get health cards and a sanitary permit from the City Health Office.
Food vendors may give out only non-plastic spoons, forks, straws, stirrers, cups, and plates, and only sealed bottled water may be sold. Vendors must bring their own bags or bins to segregate biodegradable, non-biodegradable and recyclable waste, and dispose of trash at Cenro’s designated collection points.
Selling is allowed only from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., within assigned spaces. The city banned the sale of liquor, ukay-ukay, sharp objects, firecrackers, and food on barbecue sticks, as well as cooking and dining on sidewalks.
Vendors who violate the rules face revocation of their permits, confiscation of their goods, and other penalties under existing laws and ordinances, the city said. GRS