Makati to use drone to beef up security on Undas

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 29): Makati to use drone to beef up security on Undas

The city government of Makati will use a remote controlled drone to beef up security at the Manila South Cemetery and its surroundings during the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, Acting Mayor Romulo ‘Kid’ Peña, Jr. said Thursday.

Peña said that this will be the first time to use the drone that will be operated by Makati Rescue and will be interconnected with the police force positioned along the perimeter of Manila South Cemetery.

“In addition to the usual security measures implemented in the past years, we are going to use a drone to provide our peacekeepers a clear overhead view of various parts of the cemetery. Unlike foot and bike patrols, a remote controlled drone will be able to conduct reconnaissance discreetly and without close physical contact with the throngs of people expected to arrive,” he said.

Peña also said he has ordered the lifting of number coding in the city on Friday, October 30 only but on November 2, Monday, has not been declared a holiday, number coding will not be suspended.

The acting mayor said some 311 MAPSA personnel will be deployed to implement Oplan Undas from October 31 to November 2, along with 100 Makati police officers and 100 PNP-NCRPO officers while some 754 personnel from the Department of Environmental Services (DES) will also be on duty to conduct clean-up operations and enforce the city’s anti-littering ordinance and plastic ban.

Meanwhile, Makati Action Center personnel will allot 20 wheelchairs to ferry the elderly and physically challenged visitors of the cemetery. The staff on duty who are familiar with the lay-out of the entire cemetery will be assigned to bring them safely to and from the tombs of their loved ones.

Media vans and patrols are also encouraged to position their service vehicle inside the cemetery since road repair work is ongoing at South Avenue to ease traffic congestion.

For his part, Public Safety Department officer-in-charge Arch. Elmer Cabrera said the following streets will be closed to traffic starting 12 midnight of October 31 to 12 midnight of November 2:

Kalayaan Avenue (from Zapote to F. Zobel), South Avenue (from Metropolitan to J.P. Rizal), Vito Cruz (from South Avenue to Zapote), Nicanor Garcia (from Jupiter to J.P. Rizal), and Pililia (from J.P. Rizal to Kalayaan).

He noted that for the duration of the closures, two-way traffic will be allowed along J.P. Rizal (from Pasong Tirad to Makati Avenue), and Kalayaan Avenue (from F. Zobel to Makati Avenue, and from Pasong Tirad to Zapote).

Police assistance posts will be put up around the Manila South Cemetery to provide security for the general public and monitor and confiscate prohibited items, including firearms, bladed weapons, liquor and loudspeakers or amplifiers.

The Makati Rescue and fire department will have a station at South Avenue near the entrance of South Cemetery, while the first responders and barangay officials and personnel of the adjoining barangays will also put up stations at their jurisdictional areas.

The public may also call Makati’s emergency hotline 168 for any inquiry or assistance needed. Other PLDT numbers connected to 168 are the following: 870-1920, 870-1923, 870-1926, 870-1929, 870-1932, 870-1935, 870-1940, and 870-1942. (

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=821041