Undas safety tips
Leave the alcohol, the blades and the speaker at home. Watch the candles, keep the children close, lock the house properly, and check the weather before you sail.
Written for the Philippines. Mga paalala para sa ligtas na Undas: sementeryo, kandila, biyahe at bahay.
This page gathers what the PNP, the DOH, the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Red Cross and the Coast Guard told the public for Undas 2025, with each source dated. The 2026 advisories were not out on 5 October 2026; check your city's own rules nearer the day. Candles are the biggest fire risk of the season, so read this with fire safety tips for the home.
What not to bring to the cemetery
This is Manila's 2025 list for the North and South Cemeteries and the Manila Islamic Cemetery. Check your own city's list, but expect these at any cemetery gate.
- Firearms
- Knives, cutters and other bladed or sharp items
- Alcoholic drinks
- Flammable materials such as alcohol and thinner
- Loud sound systems
- Pets
- Gambling, including cards and dice
Manila also kept every kind of vehicle out of the two big cemeteries, motorcycles, e-bikes and tricycles included, and opened them from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Source: GMA News, on the City of Manila, Manila releases Undas 2025 guidelines, 23 October 2025. Read 5 October 2026.
At the cemetery
- Go early or at a less crowded hour. The DOH advises it, and the crowds are where the theft happens.
- Bring water, food, a first aid kit, an umbrella and any maintenance medicines. Stay out of the strong sun and know the signs of heat stroke: dizziness and fainting.
- Carry little cash, and keep your phone out of your back pocket. The PNP says theft, snatching and robbery are the usual Undas crimes, in big, distracted crowds.
- Keep children, older relatives and pregnant family members close. The Manila Police District asked people not to bring small children if they can avoid it, and gives out tags at the entrance with a parent or guardian's number in case a child gets lost.
- Find the police assistance desk and the first aid station when you arrive. The PNP set up 5,015 desks in 2025, and the Red Cross 295 first aid stations.
For an emergency, call 911. The Red Cross hotline is 143. The rest of the numbers are on the emergency hotlines page.
Source: Daily Tribune, on the DOH, DOH declares Code White in hospitals during Undas, 1 November 2024. Read 5 October 2026.
Source: GMA News, on the DOH, DOH on Code White Alert for Undas 2025, 1 November 2025. Read 5 October 2026.
Source: GMA News, on the PNP, What are the common crimes during Undas?, 30 October 2025. Read 5 October 2026.
Source: GMA News, on the Manila Police District, Manila Police: Don't bring small kids, pets to cemeteries amid large Undas crowd, 27 October 2025. Read 5 October 2026.
Source: SunStar, from PNA, BFP, PNP now on heightened alert for Undas, 28 October 2025. Read 5 October 2026.
Source: Philippine Red Cross, PH Red Cross Undas Operations 2025, 30 October 2025. Read 5 October 2026.
Candles
BFP data for 31 October to 2 November over five years counted 660 fires, and unattended candles were the largest single cause, 144 of them. The BFP's precautions are three.
- Keep candles away from anything that can catch fire: curtains, wood, dry leaves, clothes.
- Put the candle out properly when you leave, and make sure it is cool before you pack it.
- Have something to put out a fire with: an extinguisher, or a bucket of water or sand.
If a fire does start, the four steps for using an extinguisher are worth reading before you need them.
Source: Inquirer, on BFP data, Data show fires rise during Undas: How to stay safe, 1 November 2024. Read 5 October 2026.
On the road
The PNP Highway Patrol Group's check before a long drive is BLOWBAGETS, now with DR in front: driver's licence and registration, then battery, lights, oil, water, brakes, air, gas, engine, tyres and self. The DOH adds the obvious one that still needs saying: do not drive short of sleep or after drinking.
The HPG also warns against colorum vehicles: if one is in an accident, the passengers may not be covered by insurance. If you break down or run into trouble, call 911.
Source: Inquirer, on the PNP Highway Patrol Group, PNP-HPG deploys over 1,500 patrollers nationwide for Undas 2025, 30 October 2025. Read 5 October 2026.
Source: Daily Tribune, on the DOH, DOH declares Code White in hospitals during Undas, 1 November 2024. Read 5 October 2026.
By sea
Undas falls in typhoon season, and in 2025 a storm stranded thousands of passengers at the ports. The Coast Guard does not let a ship leave if the port of departure, the route or the destination is under a wind signal. Even with no signal where you are, the trip waits if there is one ahead, and gale warnings and rough seas are weighed before trips resume.
So check the weather advisory, and the Coast Guard's official pages, before you leave for the port. What each signal number means is on the typhoon guide.
Source: GMA News, on the Philippine Coast Guard, PCG: Nearly 3K passengers stranded, sea travel still suspended, 5 November 2025. Read 5 October 2026.
The house you leave behind
An empty house over a long weekend is a target. The PNP and the Red Cross give the same reminders, and the BFP adds the appliances.
- Lock up and double-check every lock and entry point before you leave.
- Do not leave valuables where they can be seen.
- Do not post your travel plans online while you are away.
- Unplug appliances, especially when nobody will be home, and leave no candle burning.
Source: GMA News, on the PNP, PNP asks public to be vigilant, report suspicious moves during Undas 2025, 31 October 2025. Read 5 October 2026.
Source: Philippine Red Cross, PH Red Cross Undas Operations 2025, 30 October 2025. Read 5 October 2026.
Source: GMA News, on the BFP, Fire prevention tips from BFP, 3 March 2025. Read 5 October 2026.
Fire is the Undas risk you can do the most about. The fire safety guide covers the rest of the house, and the safety tips index lists every guide on the site.