Novena crowd within allowed capacity

CEBU, Philippines — Thousands of devotees flocked to the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu yesterday to attend the first day of the nine-day Novena Masses for the 456th Fiesta Señor amid COVID-19 threats.

Police Captain Edgar Labe, ground commander of the PNP security force, said around 3,000 individuals gathered inside and outside the basilica.

“There were 1,500 people inside the basilica. The allowed number of devotees. The rest were spilled over to the streets near the church,” he said.

Churches and other places of worship are allowed to accommodate 30 percent of their seating capacity based on government guidelines for areas under modified general community quarantine.

Also, Police Colonel Josefino Ligan, Cebu City Police (CCPO) chief, said the start of the nine-day Novena Masses was generally peaceful and orderly.

He said the physical barriers and markers placed inside and outside the century-old church for physical distancing have helped in maintaining peace and order.

The devotees were also seen wearing facemasks and face shields and observing social distancing.

“The minimum public health standards were strictly observed during the Novena. It was generally peaceful and orderly,” he said.

Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella also echoed Ligan’s assessment.

“I went around and it’s generally peaceful, and I took a glimpse of the pilgrim center, which is supposed to accommodate 50 percent of the total capacity of the number of churchgoers... Outside the church, there are still markings for churchgoers to stay,” he said.

He said he observed some devotees crowding at the Plaza Sugbo, so he instructed to disperse them and just let them fill up the markings placed outside the basilica.

The police did not monitor any major untoward incident that could have disrupted the Novena.

But some devotees were sent home for failing to bring their quarantine passes. The use of quarantine passes is still in effect in the city.

Labella reminded anew city residents to follow the odd-even scheme for the quarantine passes.

“This is really intended to see to it that not too many people would crowd on the church also in the premises,” said Labella.

The QPass with codes ending with odd numbers (1,3,5,7,9) are allowed to go out during Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while those ending with even numbers (2,4,6,8,0) can go out on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. On Sundays, all QPass holders are allowed to go out.

Labella, however, said Authorized Persons Outside Residence (APOR) who wish to hear the mass at the basilica and its premises will be allowed to enter any time.

Labella also urged the devotees to hear the Novena Masses online since “these are extraordinary times and we have to do our share” by complying with the minimum health protocols, such as avoiding mass gathering to lessen COVID-19 transmission.

“It will not lessen the blessing of the Señor Sto. Niño,” he said.

“This is to prevent the spread of the virus, especially now that there is a new variant... We have to be extra vigilant because the virus is still very much around,” he added.

Labella earlier issued an executive order adjusting the curfew schedule in the city from 11:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. for the duration of the Novena Masses for the Fiesta Señor.

Under the same EO, the truck ban in the city is also adjusted and shall start from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Delivery trucks carrying essential goods, including food and beverages, medicines and medical products, as well as garbage trucks, emergency trucks, and buses used for public transportation are exempted from the new truck ban schedule and shall follow the existing schedule from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. — Iris Hazel M. Mascardo, KQD (FREEMAN)