HEEDING to the request of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, the government has allowed religious gatherings once a day with a limit of just 10 percent of the venue’s capacity.
In a televised announcement, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has agreed to allow churches to hold mass once a day from April 1 to 4, which translates to limited physical activities as the country observes the Holy Week.
Aside from the Catholic churches, other religious sects would also be given the same leverage, added Roque who hinted other restrictions, which include:
- Pre-booking/ seat reservations for believers wanting to physically attend mass
- No singing inside the worship place, just recorded religious songs
- Mandatory use of face masks and face shields inside the church
- No speakers outside the church to prevent merging of people outside the worship are
Roque added that the IATF has also designated barangay officials and local police to enforce compliance to the protocols.
The Paslace mouthpiece also urged those who won’t be accommodated to seriously consider attending the religious services virtually, citing the need to be more cautious amid the continued surge in COVID-19 cases.
Earlier this week, two Catholic bishops and the largest group of Protestant churches in the country criticized the government for not consulting religious sectors on its blanket ban of religious gatherings within the “NCR Plus” bubble from March 22 to April.
On Wednesday, Justice Secretary Guevarra, in his capacity as the designated liaison to the religious groups, announced that the government would review the request to allow 10% seating capacity for religious gatherings.