Mass at Borongan Cathedral on Sunday, March 15, 2020. (Alren Beronio/ESTE News)
Churches will be allowed to hold religious gatherings once a day from April 1 to 4 at limited capacity, Malacañang said on Friday.
Palace spokesman Harry Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases had decided to relax the total ban on religious gatherings in areas under general community quarantine, and would allow churches to use up to 10 percent capacity once a day.
“Ito po ay katugunan ng IATF noong nag-request naman po ang ating Catholic Bishops’ Conference iyong 500th year na dumating po ang Simbahang Katolika dito sa ating bansa at nakinig naman po ang ating IATF, at ito po ang napagkasunduan: Once a day service, 10 percent capacity, April 1 to 4,” he said in a Laging Handa briefing.
Holy Week starts on Palm Sunday, March 28.
Roque encouraged churches to implement a reservation system to ensure only 10 percent of a building’s capacity would be occupied.
He also stressed that mass gatherings outside places of worship would be prohibited.
“Upang maiwasan ang pagtitipon-tipon ng mga tao sa labas ng simbahan, ipinagbabawal ang paggamit ng audio/video system sa labas ng simbahan o venue habang mayroong misa o worship service,” he said.
The government also discouraged live singing during worship, and encouraged churches to make use of recorded audio.
“At panghuli, hinihikayat na ang pag-attend sa mga religious activities sa pamamagitan ng iba’t ibang online platforms.”
Before allowing religious gatherings, the IATF spokesman earlier said the government could close down churches if they defied protocols on mass gatherings stated in an earlier IATF resolution.
Catholic bishops, notably Manila Apostolic Administrator Broderick Pabillo, called the measure a violation of religious freedom. John Ezekiel J. Hirro