Cebu City, Philippines–The Catholic faithful flocked to churches holding dawn masses (Misa de Gallo) here on Wednesday, December 16, 2020.
Cebu City Councilor David Tumulak, the city council’s chairperson for the committee on disaster risk reduction, said that all 35 churches in the city drew at least a thousand individuals each, with the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral and the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño drawing the most crowd up to more than 3,000, on the first day.
Read: Basilica, Cathedral filled up in first day of Misa De Gallo 2020
Read: ‘More security personnel, venues needed for Misa de Gallo’
Photos circulated online of other churches around the metro filled with people, such as the Sto. Tomas de Villanueva church in Pardo, Cebu City, and the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City.
Councilor Joel Garganera, head of the city’s EOC, said the city government will be conducting a meeting with law enforcers and church officials on Wednesday to discuss, among others, improvement in the enforcement of health protocols.
Garganera told reporters that based on their initial observations, crowd gathering outside churches is a primary concern.
Here are the photos from the first day of the nine-day Misa de Gallo:
The highway outside the Sto Tomas de Villanueva church in Pardo is almost blocked due to the crowd of churchgoers who attended the first day of the Misa de Gallo this year. | photo courtesy of Dave Tumulak
The Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral is filled with churchgoers on the first day of the Misa de Gallo 2020. CDN Digital photo | Delta Letigio
The vicinity around the National Shrine of St. Joseph is filled with churchgoers in the first day of the Misa de Gallo on December 16, 2020. | contributed photo
Some of the churchgoers hear mass from the street surrounding the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño. CDN Digital photo | Delta Letigio
A view from outside the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Therese in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City in the first day of the Misa de Gallo. | photo by Councilor Joel Garganera
This photo provided by Councilor Joel Garganera shows the Our Lady of Sacred Heart Parish (Capitol Parish).
People attend the first day of the Misa de Gallo at the San Vicente Ferrer Parish in Barangay Sambag 2 in Cebu City. | photo from Councilor Joel Garganera