Manila Bulletin
Amen! DILG welcomes IATF move to allow limited religious activities in 'NCR Plus'
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has approved once-a-day religious gatherings at 10 percent venue capacity from April 1 to April 4.
This decision applies to areas covered by the "NCR+" bubble, including the National Capital Region, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal.
The IATF-EID spokesperson, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, announced that the approval was in response to the request of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and in observance of the 500th year of Catholicism in the country.
Religious organizations must implement minimum health standards, including reservations to ensure compliance with the 10 percent capacity rule.
Audio-video systems outside churches are prohibited to prevent people from flocking outside venues.
The public is encouraged to attend religious activities through online platforms.
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The Archdiocese of Manila will permit churches to hold Masses at 10 percent seating capacity starting Wednesday, March 24, 2021.
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Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, also the vice president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), criticized the government's decision to ban religious gatherings while allowing gyms and spas to operate at limited capacities in NCR Plus.
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The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) has described the Inter-Agency Task Force's (IATF) ban on religious gatherings in the "NCR Plus" bubble as "grossly unfair" and implemented without prior consultation.
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Religious gatherings will be banned anew in Metro Manila and four adjacent provinces from March 22 to April 4, 2021, as the national government implements stricter measures to curb the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
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The Archdiocese of Manila clarified that it is not defying the government's ban on religious gatherings in the NCR Plus bubble.
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