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Confusion enshrouds postponed Shs870b Jinja hotel groundbreaking after Gen Muhoozi no-show

The planned groundbreaking ceremony for a Shs870 billion five-star hotel development in Jinja City collapsed into confusion following the unexpected absence of the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who had been scheduled to preside over the event.

The ambitious project, spearheaded by MMP Park, is slated for a 12-acre parcel formerly known as Chairman’s Park, strategically situated near the Source of the Nile and adjacent to the National Agricultural Showground.

Gen Muhoozi’s scheduled appearance had sparked intense political maneuvering across Jinja City and neighboring Buikwe District. Local politicians capitalized on the high-profile visit to mobilize public support, frequently visiting the venue, conducting promotional TikTok interviews, and urging residents to attend the ceremony in large numbers.

However, the abrupt call-off exposed contrasting explanations between the event’s organizers and the developer. Ms Esther Mirembe, the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) coordinator for Jinja City, stated that military authorities contacted local organizers to cite pressing official matters. She explained that Gen Muhoozi’s team communicated his inability to attend due to urgent state engagements at State House, requesting a postponement until further notice.

Conversely, MMP Park’s corporate affairs manager, Mr Francis Baganzi, rejected claims that the setback stemmed from political interference or ongoing land conflicts, attributing the delay strictly to unfinalized logistical preparations. Clarifying that misleading narratives were circulating on social media regarding ownership friction, Mr Baganzi confirmed the company holds clear rights to the 12-acre property and indicated a revised date for the ceremony would be announced in due course.

By the time the event was called off, extensive preparation was already visible on-site, with large temporary structures fully erected. Following the official notice, workers dismantled the tents, leaving the grounds vacant.

The venue itself carries a history of complex legal and administrative transactions. Originally designated as a public recreational site along Bridge Street, the property was acquired by the former Jinja Municipal Council from the Uganda Land Commission in 2001. Contested dealings subsequently emerged when the Jinja District Land Board reallocated the property to Black Eagle Investments Limited (BEIL) without municipal authority approval. BEIL obtained a land title after paying an Shs80 million premium alongside an annual ground rent of Shs2 million, subsequently securing an Shs2.5 billion commercial bank mortgage against the land.

A subsequent inquiry by the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) identified procedural irregularities, recommending that the then-Jinja Central Division settle the Shs2.5 billion bank obligation to retrieve the five-acre public park. The municipal administration was ultimately unable to raise the required funds. Ownership was later acquired by businessman Magan Meghi Patel, proprietor of MMP Industrial Park, through his commercial entity, Nile Agro Industries, which now intends to construct the luxury hospitality facility.

The proposed conversion has drawn scrutiny from urban planning regulators regarding environmental zoning compliance and boundary enclosures. While the National Physical Planning Board granted conditional approval in January 2018 to rezone five acres from green belt status to commercial hotel use-mandating that the remaining seven acres persist as public open space-subsequent ministry inspections revealed that a perimeter wall had been constructed around the entire 12-acre tract.

Chief Executive Officer of Black Eagle Limited, Mr Osman Noor Ahmed, defended the fencing, maintaining that the entity holds a valid title encompassing the entire plot. Though reports indicated the former Jinja City Council had executed a Memorandum of Understanding with Nile Agro Industries regarding the management of the seven-acre public area, municipal administrative officers have denied the existence of any formal agreement, reiterating that the seven acres remain public open space despite being included within the company’s title boundary.

Bettors seek NBI probe over unpaid online gambling pots

Five bettors in online gambling have asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate an online gaming platform over what they claimed as unpaid jackpot winnings worth P5 billion.

Accompanied by their lawyers, the complainants submitted affidavits to the NBI-National Capital Region on Thursday, alleging that their winnings from the platform’s ‘Lucky Spin’ feature were dismissed as system glitches and never credited to their accounts.

One bettor claimed he won P570 million in a single game, but was later told by customer service representatives that there was no record of his win.

He said a meeting with company representatives at their office in Taguig on June 11, 2025 ended with him accepting P300,000 after he was pressured to sign a waiver.

‘When I refused to sign, one of the representatives told me, ‘I won’t let you go downstairs,’ ‘ the bettor said, adding that he felt unsafe and later moved to another residence.

Another complainant, identified only as ‘Cat,’ presented videos and screenshots of two alleged jackpot wins – P485 million on March 24, 2025 and P539 million on April 3, 2025. She said neither amount was credited to her account.

‘I have video footage and proof that I won the jackpot, but the winnings were still not credited to my account,’ Cat said.

Lawyer Leo la Victoria said eight complainants had come forward, with their claimed winnings estimated to be between P4 billion to P5 billion.

Aside from the gaming platform, the complainants named officials of the gaming company and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. in their charge sheets.

Emerito Dongallo, NBI-NCR chief, said the bureau would first assess the affidavits and determine whether the allegations had sufficient basis before issuing subpoenas to the concerned parties.

‘We will carefully examine their allegations and determine whether there is a basis for them,’ Dongallo said as he assured the complainants of an impartial investigation.

La Victoria said the complainants were seeking an independent probe and would leave it to the NBI to determine whether any laws or regulations had been violated.

Trade gap widens to $5.15 billion in September

The country’s trade deficit widened in September despite record exports earnings and fastest growth in over five years, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The balance of trade in goods – the difference between exports and imports – booked a deficit of $5.15 billion in September, 10.3 percent higher than the $4.67-billion shortfall in the same month last year.

This despite the 35.6-percent jump in exports to $9.87 billion in September from $7.28 billion in the same month last year.

National Statistician Dennis Mapa said in a Viber message that the September export growth was the ‘highest since April 2021 with 74.2-percent growth in export.’

The September export figure is also the highest since the government started to track performance in 1991.

Electronic products remained the country’s top exported commodity with total earnings of $6.92 billion or 70 percent of the country’s total outbound shipments in September.

The United States remained the country’s top export market, accounting for $2.63 billion or 27 percent of the total in September.

Meanwhile, the country’s imported goods surged by 26 percent to $15.03 billion in September from $11.95 billion in the same month last year.

‘The September 2026 import value was the highest recorded since the series began in 1991,’ the PSA said.

Similar to exports, electronics also had the highest import value in September at $5.8 billion or 39 percent of the total imports.

South Korea became the biggest source of the Philippines’ imports in September, toppling China. Imports from South Korea amounted to $3.92 billion or 26 percent of the total in September.

From January to September, the trade deficit widened by 26 percent to $47.16 billion from $37.57 billion in the same period last year.

Exports in the nine-month period climbed by 17 percent to $73.95 billion from $63.08 billion a year ago.

The PSA said the export figure as of end-September was the highest recorded since tracking started in 1991.

Meanwhile, imports from January to September grew by 20 percent to $121.11 billion from $100.65 billion in the previous year.

The total import value as of end-September was also the highest level since 1991.

Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. said in a telephone interview that while the peso’s depreciation has helped make the country’s exports become more competitive, it is not the main driver of growth.

‘We still have an advantage in terms of electronics, our top export. There is no tariff imposed by the US on this,’ Ortiz-Luis told The STAR.

Like electronic products, he said Philippine exports of agricultural products are also exempt from the US tariff.

Barring unexpected developments, he said that Philippine exports are expected to continue posting growth for the coming months.

While exports continue to grow, he said that the Philippines is still lagging behind in the region.

‘The reality is our exports are still small compared to our neighbors,’ he said.

He said there is a need to diversify exports and take advantage of trade pacts to continue to grow.

MMDA suspends road works ahead of Christmas season

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has temporarily suspended all road excavations in national and city roads in Metro Manila.

The suspension is meant to avoid worsening the expected heavy traffic congestion to be brought by the Christmas season.

In an advisory on Saturday (October 31), the MMDA said that the temporary suspension of road works will take effect on Sunday (November 1) at 12 a.m.

It will last until December 23 at 12 a.m.

‘This is intended to minimize disruptions and ensure a smoother journey for motorists, given the expected increase in the number of vehicles as the Christmas season approaches,’ the agency stated.

Meanwhile, under Memorandum Circular No. 20 Series of 2026, the following government infrastructure projects and emergency repairs are exempted by the moratorium:

Government flagship projects

Department of Public Works and Highways bridge repairs and constructions

Flood interceptor catchment project (box culvert)

Asphalt overlay projects without reblocking works

Sidewalk improvement

Drainage improvement projects along the sidewalk and not occupying any part of the roadway footbridge projects

Emergency leak repairs or breakage of water line by the Manila Water Co. and Maynilad Water Service Inc.

New water service connection or electrical service connections

Road activities without excavation (traffic clearance only)

Meralco relocation or emergency works affecting major government projects

Other projects permitted by the MMDA following the filing of a due application

’Bongga’ Zara Larsson brings summer heat to Manila, eyes stadium for next return

Halfway through the -ber months but as Zara Larsson said, summer isn’t over yet.

The Swedish pop star returned to the Philippines for her first solo concert, bringing her ‘Midnight Sun’ tour to the Araneta Coliseum last October 30.

Dubbed the “Queen of Summer,” Larsson danced to local classic “Bongga Ka Day!” backstage before facing her fans, exciting everyone ahead of the show.

She then let the Filipino crowd experience a never-ending midnight sun as she performed the tour’s titular song.

Beyond the music and performances, Larsson also shared her ambitions and expressed hopes of returning to the Philippines for a stadium show.

“My ambition is the reason why I’m here today in Manila, on a sold-out show. But the ambition is a blessing and a curse ’cause you always want more,” she told the audience. “Next time when I come back, I want to be in a stadium. I have a lot of ambition and you should too ’cause you can do anything.”

The singer also took a moment to reflect on how far she had come in her music career before performing “Saturn’s Return,” which she described as one of her favorite songs she has ever written.

“I’ve been doing this for a very long time. I released my first song when I was 15 and now I’m 28, and this right here, this is my dream,” Larsson shared. “You guys are making my dream come true. So thank you so, so much.”

The Filipino crowd also finally got to experience “Lush Life” as Larsson invited a fan named Louise onstage to dance and perform the song’s iconic choreography.

Louise then revealed that they had taught the singer the word “bakla,” the Tagalog word for “gay,” during her South Korea stop in early October. They also asked the pop star to write the word on a custom T-shirt.

“I love that. I love bakla… I will be nothing without my baklas,” Larsson – a vocal ally of the queer community – exclaimed, drawing loud screams from the crowd.

The interaction did not end there, as the singer offered Louise a chance to drink from her personal tumbler, making the fan experience even more memorable.

Larsson also treated attendees to a mix of nostalgic hits and newer collaborations. Among the songs on the setlist were “I Would Like,” “Ain’t My Fault,” “Ruin My Life,” and “Symphony,” as well as “She Did It Again” and “Stateside.”

The artist closed the show with another performance of “Midnight Sun,” with fans joining the “dolphin lift” trend – one of her concert traditions in which attendees lift one another into the air, recreating the song’s choreography.

The singer first performed in the country at the “In the Mix” music festival in 2017 at the Mall of Asia Arena, alongside other international artists including Dua Lipa and 5 Seconds of Summer.

The “Midnight Sun” tour marks the singer’s fifth concert tour, which kicked off in Germany a year ago. The pop star will next head to Thailand for the final stop of the tour’s Asia leg.

KQ shifts duty-free shopping online in retail overhaul

National carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) will move its in-flight duty-free shopping to a digital platform from November 1, 2026, allowing passengers to order products from an expanded catalogue up to 40 days before departure.

The initiative, which is a five-year partnership with Safari Duty Free, will allow travellers to browse, compare and pre-order products before boarding, with purchases delivered directly to their seats.

‘With Safari Duty Free, we are creating a modern retail experience that begins before take-off and continues seamlessly onboard,’ Julius Thairu, KQ’s chief commercial and customer officer, said.

The expanded catalogue will have international brands, Kenyan and African products, beauty, fragrances, electronics and travel accessories, at prices up to 15 per cent lower than those at airport duty-free shops.

‘Consumer preferences are evolving, and we are seeing strong interest in beauty, skincare, lifestyle and travel-related products, particularly among younger travellers,’ Safari Duty Free Managing Director Vivek Mehra said.

Pauline Kihara, KQ, Head of Inflight and Catering, said digitising the catalogue would give passengers more time to consider the available products.

‘Passengers can browse products in advance, plan their purchases and enjoy a more seamless shopping experience. By digitising the duty-free catalogue, we are giving customers greater choice, convenience and flexibility while reducing the limitations of traditional onboard browsing,’ she said.

The digital shift also targets the changing consumer preferences, especially among younger travellers who are accustomed to shopping through online platforms.

Ms Kihara said the airline was seeing stronger uptake of duty-free products among Economy Class passengers, although Business Class remained an area with growth potential.

‘Duty-free spending varies by route and passenger segment, but we currently see stronger uptake in Economy Class, with Business Class presenting significant growth potential,’ she said.

She added that insights from younger employees were helping the airline understand the changing preferences and develop product selections that appeal to a wider passenger demographic.

This is expected to influence the range of products that are available online and how passengers interact with the shopping platform.

Mr Mehra said the expanded catalogue would cover beauty, skincare, fragrances, fashion accessories, electronics and travel essentials, reflecting demand for products that go beyond traditional duty-free categories.

‘Consumer preferences are evolving, and we are seeing strong interest in beauty, skincare, lifestyle and travel-related products, particularly among younger travellers,’ he said.

‘While traditional duty-free categories such as fragrances and confectionery remain popular, customers are increasingly looking for products that combine convenience, value and personal relevance.’

The expanded selection is intended to serve both established duty-free shoppers and passengers whose purchasing preferences are influenced by lifestyle and technology.

KQ is also using the retail partnership to increase the visibility of Kenyan and other African products, which gives local manufacturers and entrepreneurs an additional distribution channel through the airline’s international network.

The current offering includes Procera Gin, Wamama Wetu beaded crafts and products from East African Breweries Limited (EABL).

Ms Kihara said the airline wanted its onboard catalogue to reflect the continent’s culture and entrepreneurship and expose African businesses to a wider customer base.

‘The platform allows us to celebrate African craftsmanship, culture and entrepreneurship while connecting these brands to a global audience.’

The move comes as airlines increasingly seek to extract more value from passengers beyond ticket sales through ancillary services, including baggage, seat selection, onboard meals and retail.

In the Aviation Leaders Report 2026, published by Airline Economics in partnership with KPMG, industry leaders point to the growing importance of ancillary revenue as airlines navigate the rising operating costs and capacity constraints.

The report notes that airlines have turned to additional revenue streams and premium offerings to strengthen their profitability.

Globally, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), in its June 2026 industry outlook, projects global airline ancillary revenues to rise by 12.6 per cent to $165 billion in 2026, which outpaces the projected 9.2 per cent growth in passenger ticket revenues to $839 billion.

Content creator MK raves about Philippines’ basketball passion

Simply electric.

Following his visit to the Philippines, basketball content creator Matt Kiatipis reveled on the environment the country showcased during his stay here.

Kiatipis, also known as MK, had several one-on-one games with local players in the country.

‘Every place is electric is nowadays, but I was very surprised by Asia. We have been to Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and now the Philippines, all of them. Asia is just so passionate about basketball. They love it,’ said Kiatipis, who has more than 9 million followers on social media.

‘I was not expecting this many people to show up, this many people to be excited, this culture to be so deep; it is an amazing surprise. So much passion and so much skill,’ he continued.

Hundreds of people watched MK’s matches, which showcased the content creator’s brash on-court personality and aggressive style.

‘The Philippines, they love basketball, and I love basketball, but I got to love it as much as them.’

Joe Gomez de Liaño, who faced MK, said that such initiatives ‘offer an opportunity to bring basketball enthusiasts together and build stronger connections within the local basketball community.’

‘It was very nice putting the community together; it is good for the crowd they loved watching it. SportsPlus, keep continuing to grow and have more events. You guys are doing well, and for MK, keep up your vlogging. It is a hit everywhere in the world,’ said Gomez de Liaño.

The peso at P64.17

We just broke through every psychological barrier in a single trading week. On Tuesday, October 27, the peso breached P64 per dollar for the first time in history, sinking to P64.17 as renewed oil price volatility and mounting stagflation worries rattled investors. It was the sixth straight session of record lows and the 33rd time this year that the peso closed at an all-time low. As of October 27, 2026, we have weakened by P5.38, or 9.15%, from P58.79 on December 29, 2025. The official assumption of P60-P62 through 2030 is no longer a forecast. It has already been broken.

No single factor explains this. It is a pile-up.

One, the dollar is strong for the wrong reasons. Safe-haven demand amid geopolitical risks has propped it up, while the Federal Reserve’s higher-for-longer stance has pulled capital back home. Two, oil is our Achilles’ heel. We import 98% of our oil, mostly from the Middle East, so when tensions flared in the Strait of Hormuz, the import bill surged. In April, the trade deficit jumped 49.8% to $6 billion. By May, imports had risen 21.9% to $13.36 billion against exports of $7.87 billion, widening the gap by 50.5% to $5.48 billion. Three, we now have less foreign money to finance that gap. FDI is projected at $6.5 billion this year, and our current account deficit runs at roughly 3.3% of GDP. When the dollars going out exceed the dollars coming in, the peso has to find a lower floor.

How low can it go? The polite range is gone. ING cautioned that the peso could weaken beyond P63, as a shrinking foreign exchange buffer limits the capacity of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to intervene. MUFG now sees it trading around P62:$1 in the second half of 2026 and recovering toward P61:$1 in the first half of 2027, though it could slip past P62 in riskier scenarios. The bear case belongs to JPMorgan and Bank of America, which see it going as low as P65:$1 by the middle of next year. That is not fear-mongering. If oil holds near $100 and our trade gap stays wide, P64 is a speed bump, not a wall.

What keeps us from a free fall are buffers, not bravado. Governor Remolona has been consistent: the BSP does not target a specific exchange rate and steps in only to curb volatility that could fuel inflation. He said it plainly: ‘We are not hiking the policy rate to defend the weak peso. We do intervene a little bit, mainly to avoid the swings that tend to be inflationary.’ That discipline preserves ammunition. The BSP projects reserves to stay above $100 billion in both 2026 and 2027, enough to cover 6.2 months of imports of goods and payments of services, and about 3.1 times the country’s short-term external debt. Then there are the rate hikes, including a jumbo 50 basis points with two more expected this year, plus resilient remittances and services receipts. The BSP will smooth, not burn.

What to watch next? Four dials. First, Fed projections and US jobs data, since a tight Fed means a strong dollar. Second, Brent and Hormuz, where every $10 rise adds a billion to our monthly bill. Third, our trade data and gross international reserves (GIR): if the balance-of-payments (BoP) deficit overshoots the $9.2 billion projection and reserves slip below $100 billion, tolerance thins. Fourth, core inflation after the October 22 Monetary Board meeting. If core keeps climbing, another hike would help the peso only incidentally.

The impact is immediate and uneven. A weaker peso raises the cost of dollar-priced imports such as fuel, as well as the peso cost of servicing foreign-currency obligations. External debt stood at $154.9 billion in the second quarter of 2026, and depreciation means the government needs more pesos to meet the same dollar-denominated obligations. Importers and manufacturers that depend on foreign raw materials and equipment are similarly exposed to higher costs, from power and transport to fertilizer and packaging. That feeds consumer inflation, erodes purchasing power, and cancels out any peso-revenue bump for exporters who also import their inputs.

We have survived every peso crash because we had no choice. Give the country a choice this time: earn dollars, not just borrow them.

Being a senior citizen doesn’t excuse bad behavior

Pity the nation that feels constrained to remind its senior citizens about elementary good manners and right conduct.

A recent social media post by actress Rita Avila went viral after she recounted an encounter with a fellow senior citizen at a movie theater.

Essentially, she recounted being at the cinema when a man seated next to her let his phone ring out loudly. She reminded him that they were inside a theater. He just said: ‘Pasensya na, senior na.’ She riposted back, ‘senior na rin ako.’

My most memorable experience with a senior citizen’s bad behavior happened inside a commuter train. That day, the train was fully packed with passengers and two high school students got shoved or ‘pranked’ into the space that is reserved for senior citizens and PWD commuters, separated only by a flimsy rope. The two youngsters were obviously embarrassed and uncomfortable. I and other senior passengers knew it was not intentional on their part, but one old lady passenger didn’t like it at all and started berating the poor high schoolers endlessly and loudly, calling them undisciplined, unruly, disrespectful and so on.

The funny thing was there was space enough for them and most of us didn’t mind them being there. At last, one elderly woman told the fulminating lady it was ok because the youngsters got reprimanded enough. But she wouldn’t ease up and only shut up when the two teeners were forced to get off at the next station. To me that old cantankerous woman is the Pinoy equivalent of the white privileged ‘Karen’ in America.

We have this tendency to give older people a pass on certain things. Matanda na kasi. The casual excuse-‘senior moment’-is being often abused as a free pass for many unacceptable behavior of elderly people. It’s everyone’s way of dismissing a shameful display of bad conduct from an old folk who ought to do better.

I don’t think age should be an excuse for behaving rudely. Advancing age does not exempt anyone from basic courtesy. What is even more concerning is the potential for younger individuals to internalize and emulate such unbecoming conduct.

Just last week, an octogenarian friend lamented the vanishing ‘courteousness and urbanidad’ among today’s youth. I told him: ‘Yes, that may be true, but many of our fellow seniors are no better. Our peers aren’t setting a good example either.’

The problem is some of us old folks are now so focused on ourselves, we have dulled our sensitivity to other people, or even lost it. We often suffer from our inability to read the room many times. We speak out of turn or say hurtful words or behave badly without the fear of being admonished or rebuked by someone older because there’s no one else older than us in the room.

Setting aside the elderly who are suffering from dementia, why do some normal elderly people decide to no longer be polite or respectful? Why do they lose their ‘filters’ as they age and fail to realize that their comments are rude, crude, or outlandish?

We were not like this before. The phenomenon of being able to act boorishly with impunity began to manifest itself some time ago. Our society got infected by the virus of rudeness and vulgarity and soon even senior citizens began to stop being kindly elders.

Remember the ex-president, himself a senior citizen, who delighted in speaking rough ‘kanto’ language in his speeches? He had no compunction to curse in public and was even applauded for it, which made him come off as being ‘authentic’ and ‘totoo.’

To me his ascension to the height of national power was the inflection point in our social cultural history, that marked our collective descent into crassness, crudeness and vulgarity. Because he could use cuss words in public without being called out, soon everything was permitted and rudeness and crassness became the new normal.

Four-letter words? Kanto language? Scandalous relationships? You encounter them on social media postings so often, they have lost their shock value. We are now a society with no filters and no restraint.

The incidents of seniors behaving badly are just a reflection of what we have turned into. The question is, have Filipinos completely lost our grasp on basic manners? I pray not.

My collective assessment is that it is not true of all senior citizens but a few who want to enjoy fully that sense of entitlement as much as they can while they still can, enforce and perpetuate a privilege, believing it is their right to be served. They know their days are numbered and they no longer have to please anyone.

It is borne out of many causes: fear, resentment, frustration, bitterness, sense of failure, and perhaps physical pain.

One thing though about seniors. Yes, they do tend to focus on themselves, but sometimes they will respond to a gentle reminder. Etiquette still resonates with many of my senior friends. I am lucky to have a wife who always restrains me when I act or speak too uninhibitedly for comfort. In creative sessions I am invited to participate, I tell the young people present to let me know if I am rude in my manner and not to take my words personally if I say something outrageous or offensive.

billboards do the job socmed

We seniors need to go back to the idea of senior citizenship as a time of eldership, not a time to seek and enjoy more entitlements.

We need to show our people, young or old, that we are not all crude and crass and feeling entitled. We need to let them know that having manners is still a huge factor to being a decent human being. Let’s reclaim the traditional values that have always defined the authentic Filipino character, most specially ‘paggalang sa kapwa, sa puso, diwa, salita at gawa.’

Iligan City holds Alimyon Flower Festival in time for Undas

In the run-up to All Souls’ Day here, business is brisk for merchants flowers and candles, two of the most common items Filipinos bring when visiting cemeteries during the annual observance.

At the Alimyon Festival in Barangay Poblacion, flower vendors gather in stalls provided by the local government, creating a central marketplace for people buying flowers for their departed relatives.

The festival runs from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3, near the Roman Catholic Cemetery, Chinese Cemetery and city-managed public cemetery in Barangay Villaverde.

Naz Mangoranda, head of the Office of the Maranao, Higaonon and Other Cultural Communities, which facilitates the festival, said the initiative was designed to provide cut-flower growers and vendors with an additional source of income during the season.

The organized marketplace, which began in 2014, also gives cemetery visitors a convenient place to buy flowers without having to look for vendors scattered around the city.

Among those who have benefited from the arrangement is 46-year-old Annalyn Nable, who has maintained a stall at the festival since its early years.

Selling flowers is not a new occupation for Nable. She was only nine years old when she learned the trade from her parents, who supported their family through flower selling.

Now a mother of seven, she has passed on the livelihood to some of her married children, who have also established their own stalls and regularly sell flowers at the city’s market.

For Nable, the business is more than a seasonal activity. It is a family livelihood passed from one generation to another. Meanwhile, in Barangay Tibanga, Imelda Salado and her 10 workers are increasing candle production to meet the demand during All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.

On ordinary days, the group produces about 120,000 candles. During peak seasons, including All Souls’ Day and Christmas, production increases to as many as 150,000 pieces.

‘When there are occasions such as All Souls’ Day or Christmas, we can produce 150,000 pieces to meet public demand,’ Salado said.

The candle-making operation started in 2012 with capital provided by the Gagmay’ng Simbahang Katilingban, or Small Christian Community, a grassroots Catholic community where families gather for prayer, Bible reflection and mutual support.

What began with community assistance has since developed into a source of livelihood for Salado and her workers, who take turns in weekly shifts to sustain production.

Among them are Fely Lawas and Lorraine Pacquiao, who welcome the increase in orders during religious occasions because it means additional working hours and income.

‘This is a very big help in supplementing our family’s income,’ Lawas said.

Pacquiao, who also operates a Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office outlet and runs a catering business, said she continues to work at the candle-making facility because she does not want to miss the opportunity to earn extra money.

‘I also have a PCSO outlet and a catering business. But I would be wasting an opportunity if I did not take this additional income, so I make sure to work here, too,’ she said.

Economic side

For these workers, vendors and young people, the observance of All Souls’ Day brings more than the familiar sight of flowers, candles and families gathering at cemeteries.

It also opens a window of economic opportunity, however brief, for people trying to make ends meet.

As thousands of Iligan residents prepare to visit the graves of their loved ones, the seasonal workers are likewise preparing for their busiest days – cleaning tombs, repainting names, arranging flowers and producing candles.

Their work may not be part of the religious rituals of remembering the dead, but it has become an important part of how some families sustain their own lives.