Filipino families keep their loved ones close on All Saints' Day

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Her father may no longer be with her, but Lorita Santos keeps the memories they shared close to her heart.

She was among thousands of Filipinos who flocked to cemeteries across Manila on Sunday to visit the graves of their loved ones, marking All Saints’ Day.

For generations, the tradition known locally as Undas has brought families together to remember and honor their dead. The name derives from the Spanish word “honras,” meaning “honors.”

“Just because they have passed away does not mean we should forget them,” said Santos, who visited the resting places of her father and three other relatives.

Her family marks the occasion by offering flowers and candles. Together, they also pray and share snacks.

The visits are an opportunity to share stories about those who have passed away. Santos fondly remembers how her father would give his children and grandchildren small gifts every payday.

“We will never forget that,” she added.

Santos grew up visiting the graves of her relatives, even outside All Saints’ Day. Now, she is teaching her kids to do the same.

“We pass this on to our children to make sure they are aware of the tradition, so that if something happens to us, they know what to do,” Santos said.

Encompassing All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, Nov. 1 and 2, Undas is rooted in Catholic observances but also incorporates beliefs and customs that predate Spanish colonization.

“There is a very long tradition of ancestor worship in the Philippines,” said Nestor Castro, an anthropology lecturer at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Long before the Spanish arrived, Filipinos honored ancestral spirits known as anito by offering food and other gifts to the dead. These practices were not tied to a particular date but formed part of a broader tradition of ancestor veneration, Castro explained.

The tradition evolved after the Spanish arrived in 1565 and introduced Catholicism and new religious practices, some of which may have come from Mexico.

The two countries have historical ties dating back to Spanish colonial rule, when the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade connected them for centuries. Today, they also have similar customs for honoring the dead and remembering loved ones.

In Mexico, many families also honor their departed loved ones by spending a day or night at their graves or setting up altars at home. It is a joyful occasion filled with marigolds, music and food.

Similar customs are observed in other countries with strong Catholic traditions, including Bolivia, Poland and Hungary, where families gather to honor their dead with flowers, candles and prayers.

In Filipino culture, death is not only a time to honor those who have passed away, but also an occasion that brings families together, Castro said.

During funeral wakes, he added, families wait for relatives who live far away to arrive before burying their loved ones. “That’s when family reunions occur. It’s a binding event.”

That sense of togetherness also extends to Undas. Sticky rice cakes are often shared for the occasion, symbolizing the bonds between relatives through their sticky texture.

“These events foster and solidify kinship relationships,” Castro said.

For Mike Mamaril, a 42-year-old school maintenance employee, visiting his parents’ graves is a custom passed down from his grandparents. He said he makes time for the annual visit, even though he rarely gets another opportunity to go.

The gatherings are also a chance to reminisce about his mother and father, including the lighter moments of his childhood.

“We always talk about who among us got scolded the most,” Mamaril said.

Hernández reported from Beijing.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

A man holds a balloon as he walks beside apartment-type tombs at Manila's North Cemetery, Philippines as the country observes All Saints' Day on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

A woman takes photos using her smartphone as they visit their departed at Manila's North Cemetery, Philippines while the country observes All Saints' Day on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

People walk beside apartment-type tombs at Manila's North Cemetery, Philippines as the country observes All Saints' Day on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

A man carries a child and flowers at Manila's North Cemetery, Philippines as the country observes All Saints' Day on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

A man places Philippine flags on soldier's tombs at Manila's North Cemetery, Philippines as the country observes All Saints' Day on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

A man holds a balloon as he walks beside apartment-type tombs at Manila's North Cemetery, Philippines as the country observes All Saints' Day on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration has made $15 billion worth of promises to agriculture producers in the last few weeks of the midterm elections, initiatives intended to help offset higher costs for diesel and fertilizer that farmers have endured largely due to his tariffs and the war in Iran.

Whether that will motivate more voters to turn out in agricultural states where traditionally Republican seats are now seen as competitive is unclear. It may explain his increased attention on rural areas, including visits Sunday to Iowa and Kansas, two days before the election.

A look at the Republican administration's pledges to farmers:

Besides the more than $15 billion worth of payments and initiatives announced by Trump's Department of Agriculture, the agency plans $13.8 billion in safety net program payments for eligible producers for the 2025 crop year, offsetting shortfalls for farmers who grow key crops such as corn, soybeans, wheat and rice.

Of the $15 billion, more than half will go toward an $8 billion one-time payment plan for farmers buffeted by soaring diesel prices. The USDA said it will release more details about the payments this month. It is not clear when the payments will go to farmers, who rely on diesel for trucks, tractors and combines.

Gregg Ibendahl, a farm management specialist at Kansas State University, said he estimates the payments to “more than cover the increase in fuel costs,” and that the money could help with high fertilizer prices.

At least $5 billion was announced in guaranteed loans for ranchers and fishermen. An additional $1.8 billion in payments is for producers and landowners who participated in conservation programs, $573 million will go toward fertilizer manufacturing projects and $57 million is for expanding meat processors. For specialty crop producers, $86.6 million in grants will be awarded to innovative projects.

On Thursday, the agency said it would purchase up to $472.5 million in agricultural commodities to support producers and give to charitable programs.

The USDA also announced other efforts, such as expanding sales of a diesel normally used only for off-road use, helping ranchers by making cattle sale data more transparent and strengthening wolf management policies to protect livestock.

It has been a frustrating year for farmers. Increased costs for fertilizer and fuel have made it difficult to turn a profit. Last year, tariffs drove up expenses for other equipment that farmers use, and the trade war with China resulted in a near boycott of U.S. agricultural goods.

On Friday, diesel was averaging $6.32 per gallon, down slightly from its peak in September but 70% higher than the price a year ago, according to motor club AAA. Filling up a 100-gallon tank now costs $260 more than it did one year ago.

“That input side risk, I think, is the thing that really has hurt farmers this year, as well as the fact that there has been a lot more uncertainty about what’s going to happen in the world,” Ibendahl said.

He said he expects these ad hoc payments to be a big help for farmers who otherwise would not make a profit this year, but they do not address the broader issues driving up prices.

“It’s hard to go to your lender in the next spring and say, ‘OK, well, we’re looking pretty good this year, but it’s all because of these extra temporary government payments, so how much can you make me a loan (for) next year for my crop?’” he said.

Alexandra Middlewood, an associate professor of political science at Wichita State University, said she has heard mixed reactions from farmers, who are happy their business will survive this year but see these programs as one-time bailouts rather than a long-term solution.

Rural voters, including farmers and those who rely on the agricultural economy, have been an instrumental voting group for Trump.

Michael Smith, a political science professor at Emporia State University, said many rural voters like the president, but some of his policies have hurt the agriculture industry. Immigrant deportations have threatened the agricultural labor force, and cuts to foreign aid and SNAP food stamps hurt the market for agricultural products.

“Some people who admire Trump really just admire the person, the man,” he said. “But it doesn’t mean they necessarily like his policies. Well, Trump himself isn’t on the ballot this year. His policies are.”

Cost of living and access to health care are top issues for rural voters, Middlewood said. She added that there is a perception the administration has not done enough to address these issues, even as Trump boasts at campaign rallies about a booming economy.

Middlewood, who is based in Kansas, does not expect frustrated rural voters to shift to the Democratic Party, given how long the state has been a Republican stronghold. But some voters may decide to sit out of this election or vote independent, which would hurt Republican candidates.

“Independent voters make or break elections," she said. "And so that’s really what it’s going to come down to this year is those independent voters and who they’re breaking for.”

FILE - Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins speaks as President Donald Trump announces action to help farmers and ranchers, as a group of farmers and ranchers stand behind, Sept. 4, 2026, in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

FILE - People listen as President Donald Trump speaks at Custer Farms in Chippewa Falls, Wis., June 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Glen Stubbe, File)

FILE - Kernza grows at a farm in Halstead, Kan., on July 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel, File)

FILE - President Donald Trump speaks and announces action to help farmers and ranchers, as a group of farmers and ranchers stand behind, Sept. 4, 2026, in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)