Filipinos visiting Panacan Public Cemetery in Davao City for All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day were met with submerged graves, raising concerns over the site’s reportedly poor drainage.
Photos of the century-old cemetery circulated on social media, shared by news agencies as the public commemorated All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day on November 1 and 2.
Many expressed disappointment over the cemetery’s state, particularly during a period when people traditionally visit to pay respects to their departed loved ones.
ONE News shared images of the flooded graves on Facebook, garnering 1,400 likes and reactions and 1,200 comments. The post was also shared by a Filipino user on the “r/Philippines” subreddit, receiving over 850 upvotes and more than 160 comments.
Undas 2025 – Graves in Davao City remained submerged in water
byu/Karmas_Classroom inPhilippines
“Di ba covered ‘yan ng 51B [51 billion pesos] budget niyo?? Saan nga ba napunta nga P51 billion budget niyo??” a Reddit user asked.
“Akala ko ba hindi binabaha ang Davao City???” another commented.
“Kawawa naman, pati mga naka-liibing na, [nakakaranas] pa ng ganitong baha dahil sa mga magnanakaw na gahaman,” a Pinoy wrote on Facebook.
“‘Di man lang inaksyunan bago mag-Undas, kahit for optics man lang?” another Filipino asked.
“Grabe na talaga corruption dito sa Pinas, pati cemetery hindi pinatawad, tinamaan rin ng flood control,” another said, referencing the country’s flood control corruption issue in the past months.
The issue stems from a kickback scheme in flood control projects, involving lawmakers and former Department of Public Works and Highways officials, who are accused of profiting from funds allocated to these initiatives.
The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) was established to investigate the matter and is finalizing the framework to recover assets allegedly acquired using flood control funds.
Meanwhile, a Filipino user also shared concerns about the flooded cemetery on X (formerly Twitter).
“Kadiri ‘yung mga sementeryo na lubog sa tubig baha. Imagine niyo na lang ‘yung katas ng patay na dumidikit sa balat niyo. ‘Yung mga LGU [local government unit] at corrupt na DPWH eh dapat pinapalakad sa ganito buong araw,” the X user said.
GMA News shared images of the aftermath at Panacan Public Cemetery on Sunday, November 2.
It said that while rainwaters have subsided, the area remains muddy, making it difficult for visitors to access the site.
Filipinos traditionally flock to cemeteries during the first two days of November to honor their departed loved ones. Common activities include cleaning graves, lighting candles, offering flowers, and praying for the souls of the deceased.
Reports said that the Pandacan Public Cemetery lacks an adequate drainage system, which leads to persistent flooding during heavy rains.
The issue was also reported last year, with the Davao City Economic Enterprise stating that a submersible had been requested to remove stagnant water.
In August, the DPWH-Davao Region noted that street flooding in the city is caused in part by a lack of storm drains and garbage clogging the drainage system.
