'Undas' amid COVID-19: Unique Ways Filipino Latter-day Saints Honored their Dead

Every November 2, Christians worldwide celebrate All Soul's Day as a way of remembering their deceased loved ones. Known as "Undas" in the Philippines, this celebration is regarded as a significant part of the Filipino culture as it celebrates the value of close family ties even after death.

For many Filipino families, the Undas season means traveling back to their ancestral provinces and visiting the cemeteries to pay their respects to deceased ancestors. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has caused families to adapt to different ways to honor their dead.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe in the concept of a united family that lives and progresses forever. Because of this, the Church encourages its members to keep records of their family histories. For Yolanda Villegas and her family from the Olongapo Philippines Stake (diocese), they were able to reconnect with their ancestors by using the Family Tree App and the Memories App to learn more about their family history. She shared:

Using the FamilySearch mobile apps, we celebrated [Undas this year] by searching for our ancestors' names, knowing where they came from, telling stories about them, and uploading documents about them. This is one way of remembering them and letting them know how much we've loved and missed them. 

Janet Catbagan from the San Fernando La Union Stake shared how her family decided to go through old family photos and share family stories. She remarked, "Our children didn't get the chance to see and be with their great grandparents, so we gathered old pictures of them and shared to our children their stories as well as our memories with them. What started as a fun family activity turned out to be the birth of a new family tradition. We made a goal that as a family, we would continue to search for our ancestors especially during this time of the year."

This year, Joy Pigao decided to celebrate the Undas season through social media. She shared, "Social media is an effective way of bringing back and sharing memories [about deceased loved ones]. This year, I used Tiktok to create videos about my family. I also created ones that featured my ancestors' experiences and their stories back when they were yet alive."

Despite the pandemic restricting long visits to the cemetery, the Belleza family shared how grateful they were for the limited time they were allowed to visit the graves of their deceased loved ones. Dexter Belleza said:

We used to have picnics as a family and take lots of photos. But because of the pandemic, our local government unit has set a schedule for visits to the cemeteries and memorial gardens whilst limiting the number of family members who can go. This year, we went to our assigned schedule and brought flowers. We also offered prayers in behalf of our family. It's hard but we know that all these things will surely come to pass. Death is not the end because we believe that families can be together forever.

Jane Apostol of the Olongapo Philippines Stake shared that as part of their Undas celebration this year, her family decided to light candles in front of their home. According to her, this is to symbolize "lighting the path to help [their] departed loved ones find their way back to God's presence".

For Latter-day Saints in Dolores, Eastern Samar, the Undas season was an opportunity to organize a FamilySearch indexing and family history activity. Dolores Ward (local congregation) Relief Society President, Ma. Andrea T. Morales, shared the following:

Everyone in the ward decided that because we have been feeling an endless downpour of Heavenly Father's love for us, we should pay Him back by doing our family histories and searching the names of our deceased ancestors. The experience made us feel even more blessed and we all felt that our ancestors were proud of us for the work that we did. We know that we will see them again in the next life.

For more ideas on how you can continue to honor your deceased loved ones, visit Discovery.FamilySearch.Org.

About FamilySearch

FamilySearch is a service provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. FamilySearch’s commitment to helping people connect with their ancestors is rooted in the Church's belief that families are meant to be central to our lives and that family relationships are intended to continue beyond this life. Because interest in family history is not limited by culture, ethnicity, or religious faith, FamilySearch’s resources are available to everyone who wants to discover more about their family and their heritage, from church records in Europe to oral histories in Africa.

As a non-profit organization, FamilySearch relies on the support of volunteers throughout the world. These volunteers help index records, provide personal assistance, and share their knowledge about genealogy research.