With cemeteries closed on All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day, visitors trooped to Rizal province's churches, restaurants, and tourist attractions instead, thus giving local tourism a much-needed boost.
Mass attendees gathered at the National Shrine of the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, commonly known as the Antipolo Cathedral, on All Saint's Day as masses were held in the morning and afternoon.
The last two Sunday Masses at the cathedral were observed to have church attendees occupying the church compound.
A popular Marian Shrine in Rizal Province, the Regina Rica in the upland village of Sampaloc in Tanay, Rizal was also filled with church goers on November 1.
On Sunday (Oct. 31), the shrine was also filled with pilgrims. A long queue of vehicles was observed at the entrance gate to the parking spaces of the religious site where the 71 foot high statue of the Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary can be seen.
The Marian shrine sanitation personnel had to conduct regular disinfection procedure in all indoor facilities such as the chapel and rest rooms while others conducted temperature checking of all incoming visitors as the crowd grew in numbers.
A long line of vehicles exiting Rizal province was also observed at the boundary of Barangay Sampaloc in Tanay and Santa Maria in Laguna with uniformed personnel of the Rizal Police Provincial Office manning the checkpoint.
The increase in the number of people going to churches and tourists sites was brought about by the closure of all cemeteries from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2.
A tourist site near the boundary of Rizal and Santa Maria in Laguna popular for selfie and groupie shots among bikers and cyclists, located at the Marikina Laguna Quezon Highway, popularly known as the Marilaque Highway, was also crowded since Oct. 31.