Lapu-Lapu churchgoers attend the dawn Mass in the Our Virgin of the Rule Shrine. Mayor Junard Chan has implemented measures to limit the Misa de Gallo crowd. |Photo courtesy of Lapu-Lapu City PIO
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — Barricades will also be placed in front of gates of churches in Lapu-Lapu City as a way to limit the crowd attending the dawn Masses or the Misa de Gallo.
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan said this would be among the measures that the city government would implement to decongest churches of churchgoers crowding the dawn Masses.
Chan said that the city government had already allowed the holding of two dawn Masses a day to further limit the crowd inside churches.
Read: Lapu churches to celebrate two dawn masses per day
In the Executive Order (E.O.) No. 2020-091-B that was signed by Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan on Wednesday, December 16, 2020, the mayor allows the holding of the first Dawn Mass at 3:00 a.m., and the second Mass is at 4:30 a.m.
According to Chan that the holding of two dawn Masses, is to decongest the churches of churchgoers and to give them options so that authorities and churches are able to control the crowd.
“Nakita gyud nato nga dasok pa gyud kaayo ang tawo. Unya ang uban dili kaayo ganahan mosimba sa gym, ganahan gyud sila nga mosimba sa Church. Okay ra nila nga malayo sa church, basta madungog lang nila ang wali sa pari,” Chan said.
(We saw that there was a big crowd. And the others don’t want to attend Mass held at the gym, they want to attend Mass in church. They are okay if they are far from the church just as long as they can hear the homily.)
Chan said that standing would not be allowed inside the barricade.
Upon entry, Chan said that church personnel would still continue to check the temperature of churchgoers, the wearing of face mask and face shield and social distancing should still be observed.
“Kung mapuno na gani ang venue, katong dili na makasud ang atong giawhag nga mouli na lang ug motan-aw nalang through livestreaming,” Chan added.
(If the venue will be full, those who failed to enter the church are encouraged to go home and just watch the livestreaming of the dawn Mass.)
Due to this development, the mayor said that they also adjusted the curfew hours from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. to accommodate the holding of two Dawn Masses./dbs