Undas falls on a long weekend this year. All Saints' Day on Sunday, 1 November 2026, and All Souls' Day on Monday, 2 November, are both special non-working days under Proclamation No. 1006. With Saturday, 31 October, already a rest day for many workers, a lot of families will have three days to go home, visit their dead and get back again.
That makes the end of October one of the busiest travel windows of the year in Cebu and Negros. Ports, bus terminals and the roads to the cemeteries all fill up at once, and the timing of your trip matters more than the route.
This guide covers the dates, the cemetery rules Cebu City has used in recent years, what to expect at the ports, and how to travel around the rush if you are not heading to a cemetery at all.
The Dates That Matter
Here is how the long weekend lines up:
Saturday, 31 October: not a holiday, but a day off for many, and the most likely day for the outbound rush.
Sunday, 1 November: All Saints' Day, a special non-working day.
Monday, 2 November: All Souls' Day, also a special non-working day.
Special non-working days are not regular holidays. Banks and government offices close, but malls, restaurants and many shops stay open, often with longer queues than usual. The next regular holiday after Undas is Bonifacio Day on 30 November.
In Cebu the season is usually called Kalag-Kalag, from the Cebuano word for souls. Families clean and repaint tombs in the days before, then spend long hours at the cemetery with food, flowers and candles on the 1st and 2nd.
Cemetery Rules in Cebu City
Cebu City sets its Undas rules by executive order each year. In 2025 the order came out in the last days of October. The 2026 order is the one to follow, but last year's gives a fair idea of what to expect.
In 2025, the city banned liquor in all public places from midnight on 31 October until 6 am on 3 November. Hotels, restaurants and other licensed businesses could still serve their own guests inside their premises. Inside cemeteries, memorial parks and columbaria, the order prohibited:
Alcohol and illegal drugs
Firearms, knives and other bladed weapons
Explosives, including firecrackers
Gambling, loud music and portable speakers
Littering, vandalism and unauthorised vending
Staying overnight without permission
Mandaue City issued its own rules along similar lines, so if your family plot is outside Cebu City, check the local government's page for that city or town. Violations can lead to arrest under city ordinances and national law.
A Day at the Cemetery: What to Bring
Expect heat, crowds and very little shade. An umbrella or hat and refillable water bottles help most, and a folding stool is worth the extra weight if you plan to stay for hours. Keep candles away from flowers, paper and children, and agree on a meeting point in case someone in your group gets separated.
Before you leave home, lock up properly, unplug appliances and ask a neighbour to keep an eye on the house. Avoid posting on social media that everyone is away until you are back. On arrival, take a moment to find the nearest first-aid station and police help desk.
Traffic around the larger cemeteries is slow on both days, and the city usually puts rerouting and designated parking in place. Going early in the morning is the easiest way to beat both the heat and the heaviest traffic.
Ports and Bus Terminals
The ports in Cebu run special operations every Undas under the national Oplan Biyaheng Ayos programme. In 2025 the Cebu Port Authority ran it from 30 October to 4 November and expected more than 350,000 passengers, a sharp jump on the year before because the holiday fell on a weekend. This year has the same long-weekend pattern, so plan for similar numbers.
Port terminals apply a "No Ticket, No ID, No Entry" policy during the rush. Arrive at least two hours before your sailing, carry a valid ID, and buy tickets in advance through the shipping line's own website, app or ticket office. Tickets from unofficial sellers around the terminals can be overpriced or fake.
In 2025, help desks and first-aid stations were set up in passenger terminals for the rush. If you are crossing to Negros, our Cebu to Dumaguete by sea or road guide compares the routes, and every one of them gets busier over the long weekend.
At the Cebu South Bus Terminal, expect the heaviest outbound crowds from Friday evening into Saturday, and the return rush on Monday. If your dates are flexible, leaving on Thursday or coming back on Tuesday keeps you clear of both.
Travelling in Negros Over Undas
Expect the same pattern on the Negros side. Ferries into Dumaguete and the provincial buses along the coast are likely to be busiest on the Saturday and the Monday, as families head to their home towns and then back to work or school.
Towns set their own cemetery hours and restrictions, so check the announcements from the city or municipal hall where your family is buried. Liquor bans and rules on overnight stays are common, but the details vary from town to town.
If You Are Not Visiting a Cemetery
A long weekend with closed offices can be a good time for a short trip, as long as you go against the flow. Some beaches and resorts can feel quieter on 1 and 2 November, while many local families are at the cemeteries, but long weekends also bring holidaymakers, so book ahead either way.
Pick somewhere you can reach without passing through the busiest terminals at peak times, and book transport and rooms ahead anyway. For ideas in Cebu, our list of Cebu places beyond the crowds is a good place to start. On Negros, the Negros Oriental weekend getaways guide has options for different budgets.
Be respectful if your route passes a cemetery. Roads nearby are crowded with people on foot, and families are there to remember their dead, not to be photographed.
A Simple Plan for the Long Weekend
Book any ferry or bus ticket now, travel a day earlier or later than the crowd if you can, and watch for your city's executive order in the last week of October. With those three things sorted, Undas 2026 can be a calm weekend rather than a test of patience.