Mass at Borongan Cathedral on Sunday, March 15, 2020. (Alren Beronio/ESTE News)
Churches in Manila will be allowed to take in more churchgoers starting Monday, Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso announced.
Domagoso signed Executive Order 41 which expands the allowed seating capacity in churches to 30 percent.
Previously, religious facilities were only allowed to accommodate up to 10 percent of their seating capacity.
Bishop Broderick Pabillo, the apostolic administrator of Manila, welcomed the city order.
“Inaanyayahan na natin ang mga pwedeng magsimba na pwede na silang pumasok sa loob ng simbahan. Marami kasi nasa labas lang ng simbahan, ngayon pwede na sila pumasok sa loob,” he said in a Teleradyo interview.
Pabillo also said Manila would ease its curfew hours to 12 mn to 3 a.m. starting December to accommodate Simbang Gabi attendees.
Metro Manila mayors earlier approved the 12 mn to 4 a.m. regional curfew. John Ezekiel J. Hirro