By Erma Edera As early as now, Mayor Joseph Estrada wants preparations in place at Manila’s North and South Cemeteries in anticipation of a bigger number of people visiting their departed loved ones on All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days in three weeks. A man paints one of the stacked tombs inside the Manila North Cemetery under direct sunlight days before All Souls Day. (Alvin Joseph Kasiban / MANILA BULLETIN) Estrada said he already gave instructions to Directors Dandan Tan of the Manila North Cemetery and Bha Bueza of the Manila South Cemetery to speed up repairs of cemetery facilities, especially the comfort rooms and streets and pathways. He also advised them to post some early advisories at the cemetery gates to inform the public that there will be no interment or cremation activities from October 29 to November 2. This has been the practice at the Manila and North Cemeteries every year to give way to the thousands flocking to the graves. Likewise, the cleaning and fixing up of tombs will only allowed until October 29. Saying that he expects more people visiting the dead this year, Estrada ordered the Manila Police District (MPD) to tighten security to prevent any criminal or untoward incidents from happening in and outside both cemeteries. Last year, 100 electric tricycles were deployed by the city government to help convey the elderly, persons with disabilities (PWDs), the pregnant and children.