Palace spokesman Harry Roque sings during a Wowowin guesting on May 27, 2020
Christmas season this year might be filled with silent nights as Malacañang on Friday said it would study the proposal to ban Christmas caroling amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba earlier urged the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases to set restrictions on traditional street caroling to curb the spread of Covid-19.
“Karamihan kasi ng mga carolers namin dito, they’re not even from our place. ‘Yong pagpunta nila from one house to the other, natatakot kami doon because it might cause the upsurge of Covid cases,” Mamba in an interview over Balitanghali on Thursday.
Roque said the IATF had yet to tackle the proposed measure but assured it would be discussed in future IATF meetings.
“Hindi pa po iyan napagpulungan at napag-usapan sa IATF, pero I am sure po maa-agenda iyan sa mga susunod na meeting ng IATF,” he said in a Laging Handa briefing,
While the national government has yet to set guidelines on the celebration of the holiday season, the city government of Manila earlier announced that it would ease curfew hours to 12 mn to 3 a.m. starting December to accommodate “Simbang Gabi” attendees.
Churches in general community quarantine (GCQ) areas are allowed to use up to 30 percent of seating capacity, while those in modified GCQ areas are allowed to use up to half capacity.
Roque earlier said that staying alive until Christmas—not President Rodrigo Duterte’s assurance to have a Covid-free December— should be the reason to celebrate the holiday season this year.
“Ang Merry Christmas nasa puso naman natin iyan. Basta tayo po’y kapiling natin ang mga pamilya, ligtas sa sakit, tayo po’y magkakaroon ng Merry Christmas,” Palace spokesman Harry Roque said last September. John Ezekiel J. Hirro