Undas 2026: Cemetery Crowds, Travel Checks, Peso at P63.74

Manila North Cemetery counted about 12,000 arrivals on Friday, the eve of All Saints' Day, with management bracing for roughly two million visitors across the Undas observance, while Manila South Cemetery projected 600,000 to one million people between October 31 and November 12426. The two cemeteries together expect to absorb close to three million people in the space of two days, and the preparations around them — free rides for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, burial-locator desks, extended closing hours, bans on prohibited items — set the tone for much of the day's coverage.

The peso closed at P63.74 to the dollar on Friday, 11 centavos stronger than Thursday's P63.85, after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government would do everything it could to defend the currency7. Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation chief economist Michael Ricafort attributed the gain to that statement and to two seasonal factors: households preparing cash for the long Undas weekend and overseas Filipino workers sending money home to their families7. The peso opened at P63.67, touched P63.61 at its strongest and P63.77 at its weakest during the session7.

Elsewhere in the day's business and policy coverage, the Philippine Competition Commission fined two companies linked to tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan P5.8 million for missing merger reporting deadlines3; the Social Security System and the Department of Information and Communications Technology signed an agreement to bring an estimated 1.5 million freelancers and virtual assistants into social security22; and a Manila Times column argued that the Department of Information and Communications Technology should formally designate automated election systems as critical infrastructure ahead of the 2028 polls1821. Brand Finance reported that the combined value of Philippine brands rose 11 percent to $35.9 billion in its Asean 500 2026 ranking, the second-fastest growth among six Southeast Asian markets but still only 11.4 percent of the list's total value20.

Key themes

1. Cemeteries prepare for close to three million Undas visitors in two days. Manila North Cemetery expects about two million people and Manila South Cemetery between 600,000 and one million over October 31 and November 1, prompting free rides for seniors and persons with disabilities, burial-locator assistance and extended hours2426.
2. The peso gains 11 centavos to P63.74 after the President's pledge to defend it. The close compared with P63.85 on Thursday, helped by Undas cash preparations and remittances from overseas Filipino workers, according to an economist quoted by Bombo Radyo7.
3. A Senate committee presses transport agencies on Undas travel safety. Sen. Raffy Tulfo, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services, told the Land Transportation Office to check bus brakes, tires and driver drug tests and to stop colorum buses from operating during the holiday rush29.
4. The competition watchdog fines two Pangilinan-linked firms P5.8 million for late merger reports. The Philippine Competition Commission said Pilipinas Enterprise Management Holdings Inc. and Meralco PowerGen Corp. missed required reporting deadlines for three consecutive quarters in 2025; the penalty was paid on October 163.
5. SSS and DICT move to cover 1.5 million freelancers and virtual assistants. The memorandum of understanding, signed October 21, aims to raise awareness, registration and compliance with the Social Security Act of 2018 among online workers22.
6. A proposal would have the DICT treat automated election systems as critical infrastructure. A Manila Times column and a related proposal to President Marcos Jr. argue for a Filipino-developed election system for 2028 and formal critical-infrastructure designation for the current one1821.
7. Philippine brands grow 11 percent in value but hold a small share of the regional ranking. Brand Finance put the combined value of Philippine brands at $35.9 billion, 11.4 percent of the Asean 500's $315.6 billion, with the country placing sixth among six markets20.
8. A consumer protection conference in Iloilo targets scams, unsafe products and road risks. More than 140 government officials, business leaders, advocates and youth representatives attended DTI ConVerse 2026 on October 28, part of Consumer Welfare Month23.

How the narratives stack

Dominant. The Undas observance is the day's largest story by the number of people it directly involves. The cemetery preparations, the Senate hearing on transport safety and the peso's holiday-driven movement all sit inside the same few days, and the coverage treats them as one cluster of public logistics: how millions of Filipinos travel, visit graves and move money at the same time2426297. Within the items captured here, this cluster accounts for the most distinct stories and the most outlets.

Counter-narrative. The business and regulatory items run on a separate track. The Philippine Competition Commission's P5.8-million penalty against Pangilinan-linked firms, the SSS-DICT freelancer agreement and the Brand Finance ranking are about institutional behavior rather than holiday crowds32220. They matter to a narrower audience — companies with merger obligations, digital workers, brand managers — and they drew less of the day's attention than the cemetery and travel stories.

Emerging. The push to classify automated election systems as critical infrastructure is the day's forward-looking policy story. A column in the Manila Times and a proposal submitted to the President both argue that the systems used to record, transmit and canvass votes deserve the same protection as other critical infrastructure, and both point to the 2028 elections as the deadline1821. The proposal also calls for a task force to develop a Filipino-made election system, which would reduce reliance on foreign proprietary technology21.

Under-covered. The DTI ConVerse 2026 conference in Iloilo drew more than 140 participants and covered investment scams, unsafe products and road safety, but it appears in a single item in this set and received little of the day's attention relative to its subject matter23. The same is true of the BJMP-CAR and DICT program training persons deprived of liberty as virtual assistants, which was reported by a single provincial outlet14.

Platform insights

• Facebook. The most-shared items in this set are the family updates on comedian Ate Gay's condition, posted on her Facebook page and then reported by Bandera and Philstar1528. The posts carry medical detail — septic shock, acute respiratory failure from pneumonia, a stroke, life-support machines — and the family's appeal for help with hospital bills. Facebook is where the family communicates directly and where the emotional weight of the day's coverage sits.
• X. The peso story moved through X in the form of economist commentary and news alerts. Ricafort's explanation, relayed by Bombo Radyo, tied the currency's move to the President's statement and to holiday remittances, and that framing circulated among business accounts tracking the close7.
• Reddit and forums. Discussion of the automated election system proposal and the critical-infrastructure argument appeared in tech and politics threads, where commenters focused on the 2028 timeline and on the cost of replacing foreign voting machines1821.
• YouTube and video. The Manila North and South Cemetery stories originated in television reports — GMA's "24 Oras" and its "Mariz Umali" and "Tina Panganiban-Perez" segments — and then circulated as online articles and clips2426. The burial-locator service, in particular, works better as video than as text.

Key voices and communities

Cemetery administrators and local government officials. Manila North Cemetery and Manila South Cemetery management set visitor projections, hours and rules, and their statements are the primary source for the crowd estimates2426. They are the group most directly responsible for whether the Undas visits run smoothly.

Senators and transport regulators. Sen. Raffy Tulfo used a Senate Committee on Public Services hearing to press the Land Transportation Office and other agencies on bus roadworthiness, airport and port security, and expressway readiness29. His framing — millions of passengers heading to the provinces — sets the safety agenda for the holiday.

Economists and financial analysts. Ricafort's commentary on the peso is the day's main expert voice on the currency, and it links the exchange rate to holiday cash demand and remittance flows rather than to monetary policy7.

Digital workers and freelancers. The SSS-DICT agreement speaks to an estimated 1.5 million freelancers and virtual assistants, a group that has grown with the online economy and that often lacks the social security coverage of formal employees22.

Families of public figures. The Ate Gay updates come from her family, who are using her Facebook page to report medical developments and ask for financial help1528. The family's voice is the source of the story, not a commentator on it.

Narrative streams

Cemeteries brace for close to three million visitors over two days

Manila North Cemetery, the country's largest, had about 12,000 visitors on Friday and expects roughly two million in total as All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day approach24. The cemetery is offering free rides for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, a burial-locator service to help families find graves, and complimentary items, while officials warned against dangerous shortcuts and scammers24. One visitor, 68-year-old retired senior citizen Gary Constantino, used the locator service to find his parents' grave, which he had not visited since 201624.

Manila South Cemetery expects 600,000 to one million visitors between October 31 and November 1, according to officer-in-charge John Mark Mendez, and announced extended hours and strict rules against prohibited items26. The cemetery closed at 6 p.m. on Friday before extending its schedule for the peak days26.

The read for local government and cemetery administrators is capacity management: the two Manila cemeteries alone will handle close to three million people in 48 hours, and the services that matter most — locator desks, free rides, entry rules — are the ones that reduce bottlenecks at gates and graves. For transport and emergency services, the same two days are the year's heaviest test of crowd control in the capital.

The peso closes stronger at P63.74 after the President's pledge

The peso ended the week at P63.74 to the dollar, 11 centavos stronger than Thursday's P63.85, after Marcos said the government would do everything it could to defend the currency7. The peso opened at P63.67, reached P63.61 at its strongest and P63.77 at its weakest during the session7. Ricafort credited the President's statement, Undas cash preparations and remittances from overseas Filipino workers7.

For households, the move is small but visible: a stronger peso buys slightly more for every dollar sent home, and remittance-dependent families feel that directly. For importers and businesses that price goods in dollars, the week's close is a modest relief after a period of weakness. The read for the sector is that the currency is being managed partly through public communication, and that statements from the Palace now move the exchange rate as much as the seasonal flows do.

Senate presses transport agencies on Undas travel safety

Sen. Raffy Tulfo, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Services, reminded agencies to ensure the safety of travelers during Undas, when millions of passengers head to the provinces29. At the committee hearing, he called for roadworthy public vehicles, proper security at airports and ports, and ready expressways to prevent accidents29. He directed the Land Transportation Office, led by Assistant Secretary Renante Melitante, to make sure passenger buses are in good condition before they are allowed to travel, including working brakes, tires that are not worn out, drivers who have undergone drug testing, and strict action against colorum buses operating without franchises29.

The read for bus operators and transport regulators is that enforcement will be visible over the holiday: inspections, drug tests and colorum crackdowns are the measures the committee named, and operators that fail them face being pulled from the road at the busiest travel period of the year.

Competition watchdog fines two Pangilinan-linked firms P5.8 million

The Philippine Competition Commission fined Pilipinas Enterprise Management Holdings Inc. and Meralco PowerGen Corp. P5.8 million for failing to submit required reports on time for three consecutive quarters in 2025, in violation of the Philippine Competition Act3. PEMHI is the ultimate parent company of MGen, the power-generation arm of Manila Electric Co., the Pangilinan-led utility3. MGen settled the penalty on October 16, and the proceeds went to the Bureau of the Treasury3. The case stemmed from a major transaction that had received merger clearance with reporting conditions attached3.

The read for companies with merger clearances is that the reporting conditions are enforceable on their own: missing quarterly submissions carries a peso penalty even when the underlying deal was approved, and the commission is willing to name the parent company alongside the operating unit.

SSS and DICT move to cover 1.5 million freelancers and virtual assistants

The Social Security System and the Department of Information and Communications Technology signed a memorandum of understanding on October 21 to expand social security coverage to an estimated 1.5 million Filipino freelancers and virtual assistants22. SSS President and CEO Victor Alfonso A. Limlingan and DICT Secretary Robert Joseph M. de Claro led the signing in Quezon City22. The agreement aims to increase awareness, registration, membership and compliance with Republic Act No. 11199, the Social Security Act of 2018, among freelancers and online workers22.

The read for the online gig economy is that coverage is being extended through registration drives rather than new legislation: freelancers who sign up gain protection against illness, disability and retirement, and the agencies are counting on capability-building programs to reach them.

A proposal to treat automated election systems as critical infrastructure

A Manila Times column argued that the Department of Information and Communications Technology should declare automated election systems critical infrastructure, citing their role in recording, transmitting, canvassing and reporting results and the cybersecurity, continuity and data-protection demands they carry18. The column cites Republic Act 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, which defines critical infrastructure as computer systems and networks so vital that their incapacity or destruction would have a debilitating impact on national security, public health and safety, or the economy18. A related proposal submitted to President Marcos Jr. asks the DICT to assess the current system as critical information infrastructure and establishes a task force to develop a Filipino-made election system for the 2028 elections21.

The read for the Commission on Elections and the DICT is that the 2028 timeline now anchors the debate: designating the current system as critical infrastructure would bring it under stricter security rules, while building a domestic system would reduce dependence on foreign proprietary technology but require procurement and testing time the election calendar may not allow.

Philippine brands grow 11 percent in value but hold a small regional share

Brand Finance's Asean 500 2026 report put the combined value of Philippine brands at $35.9 billion, up 11 percent from a year earlier, the second-fastest growth among six Southeast Asian markets behind Vietnam's 15 percent and ahead of the regional average of 8 percent20. Philippine brands still made up only 11.4 percent of the list's $315.6 billion total, placing the country sixth, and the Philippines had the fewest entries at 66 companies, or 13.2 percent of the list20. Indonesia had the most entries at 96, followed by Malaysia with 94 and Singapore with 88; Singapore led by combined value with a 26.7-percent share, followed by Malaysia at 19.6 percent20.

The read for Philippine brand owners is that growth is real but scale is not: the country's brands are expanding faster than the regional average while remaining the smallest bloc in the ranking, which puts the constraint on regional expansion rather than on domestic brand-building.

Consumer protection conference targets scams, unsafe products and road risks

More than 140 government officials, business leaders, consumer advocates and youth representatives gathered in Iloilo City on October 28 for ConVerse 2026, a regional consumer protection conference organized by the Department of Trade and Industry Region 6 with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Western Visayas, Junior Chamber International Western Visayas and Robinsons Jaro23. The conference addressed unsafe products, investment scams, road safety and other risks, under the Consumer Welfare Month theme "Safe Products, Confident Consumers" and the tagline "Connecting Voices, Advancing Consumer Protection"23.

The read for consumer-facing businesses in Western Visayas is that regulators are pushing cooperation rather than enforcement at this stage: the conference format puts government, business and advocates in the same room, and the issues named — scams, product safety, road risks — are the ones likely to draw follow-up inspections and complaints.

A jail-to-virtual-assistant training program in the Cordillera

The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in the Cordillera Administrative Region partnered with the DICT to train persons deprived of liberty as virtual assistants for online jobs, a new feature of National Correctional Consciousness Week 202614. Regional Director Jail Chief Superintendent Delvic L. Oreiro said the BJMP relies on partnerships with service providers to fill gaps in rehabilitation programs covering spiritual, medical, psychological, psychosocial and educational services14.

The read for corrections and digital-skills programs is that the virtual assistant market is being treated as a rehabilitation pathway: if the training leads to actual online work, it gives persons deprived of liberty an income skill before release, and the DICT's involvement signals that the program is meant to be repeated beyond the Cordillera.

Conversation trajectory

Through November 1–2 (Undas peak). Cemetery visitor counts will be the checkable number: Manila North Cemetery's two-million projection and Manila South Cemetery's 600,000-to-one-million range will be tested over the weekend, and the results will show whether the locator desks, free rides and entry rules held up2426. Watch for reports of crowding, prohibited-item seizures and traffic around the cemeteries.

Through the first week of November (transport enforcement). The Land Transportation Office's inspections, drug tests and colorum crackdowns will produce either visible enforcement reports or complaints from operators, and the Senate committee's follow-up will indicate whether the hearing leads to new directives29.

Mid-November (peso). The peso's close at P63.74 will be tested once holiday remittance flows subside; the next few weeks will show whether the President's statement produced a lasting level or a temporary holiday effect7.

Before the 2028 election preparations (automated election systems). The proposal to designate automated election systems as critical infrastructure and to develop a Filipino-made system will move, if at all, through the DICT and the Commission on Elections; the trigger events are a formal DICT assessment and any budget line for a domestic system1821.

Ongoing (freelancer coverage). The SSS and DICT will report registration numbers for freelancers and virtual assistants, which will show whether the 1.5-million estimate is being reached22.

Response guidance

Cemetery and local government communicators: publish visitor projections, hours and entry rules in Filipino and English on the days before the peak, and put the burial-locator service and free-ride details where families will see them before they leave home2426.

Transport agencies and bus operators: state the inspection criteria publicly — brakes, tires, drug tests, franchise checks — and report the number of vehicles inspected and pulled from service, so the enforcement is visible rather than asserted29.

Financial communicators: explain exchange-rate moves in household terms, including what a stronger peso means for remittance recipients and importers, and separate seasonal flows from policy signals when discussing the peso's direction7.

Companies with merger clearances: treat post-clearance reporting deadlines as compliance obligations with peso consequences, and route quarterly submissions through a named owner3.

Digital-work platforms and freelancer groups: use the SSS-DICT agreement to push registration among online workers, and explain the benefits — illness, disability, retirement — in plain terms rather than as a legal requirement22.

Election technology and cybersecurity communicators: frame the critical-infrastructure debate around the 2028 timeline and the trade-offs between a domestic system and the current foreign-supplied one, and avoid treating the proposal as settled policy1821.

Brand and marketing teams: use the Brand Finance ranking to argue for regional expansion, and be precise that an 11-percent value gain and an 11.4-percent regional share measure different things20.

Consumer protection agencies and retailers: follow up the ConVerse 2026 agenda with concrete complaint channels for scams and unsafe products, since the conference itself produced discussion rather than enforcement23.

See the full picture behind today's signals.

This report draws from Media Meter's MediaWatch, our real-time monitoring engine tracking 2,470+ Philippine sources across print, broadcast, digital, and social. Explore how the platform turns raw coverage into decision-grade intelligence, then see how it's configured for teams like yours — whether you're in PR agencies, corporate comms, government, or marketing.

Want more? Browse our Report Library for sector and crisis intelligence, or request a demo and we'll have your brand set up before the call.