Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan encourages Lapu-Lapu residents, who are devotees of the Sto. Niño, to refrain from going to the basilica to attend the Novena Masses for the Fiesta Señor, but instead attend the virtual Masses. | Lapu-Lapu City PIO
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — Oponganons, who are devotees of the Señor Sto. Niño, are encouraged to attend the virtual Novena Masses in the comforts of their homes instead of going to the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño to attend these Masses.
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan made the appeal in a Facebook post today, January 9, as a precaution against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
“Usbon ko, tungod kay anaa pa man kita sa pandemya ug tungod sa akong dakong kabalaka sa inyung kaluwasan, akong gi-encourage ang tanang Oponganon sa pagpakita sa atong pagmahal ug pasalamat sa atong balaang bata nga si Sr. Sto. Niño sa pag-attend sa virtual mass samtang anaa lang sa inyung panimalay gamit ang inyung gadget sama sa cellphone or computers,” Chan said.
(I again appeal to you because we are still in a pandemic and because of my big concern for your health. I encourage all Oponganons to show their love and gratefulness to the Holy Child, Señor Sto. Niño, to attend the virtual Masses in the comforts of their homes using their gadgets like cellphones or computers.)
Read: How to attend the Novena Mass online
He said that he made the appeal because it was his obligation to protect the Oponganons.
Chan especially called on the devotees, who had a yearly pledge to attend and complete the nine-day Novena Masses of the Senor Sto. Niño at the Basilica, to avoid gatherings or crowds because COVID-19 is still here.
“Anaa may uban kanato nga tinuig nang binuhatan ang personal nga pagbisita sa basilica pero hugtanon nakong gihangyo sa mga Oponganon nga gustong moadto nga likayan lang ang mga tapok sa mga tawo kay anaa pa si COVID,” Chan said.
(There are some of us, who have a yearly personal pledge to visit the Basilica but I strongly appeal to the Oponganons, who would want to attend, to avoid gatherings of people because COVID is still here.)
Read: Devotees told to attend Novena Masses at their own parishes
He instead encouraged them to show their love and devotion to the Holy Child by attending the virtual Novena Masses so that they could not add to the growing crowd attending the Masses there.
Despite the safety and health protocols implemented by the church, Chan said that it would not be a surprise to see the crowd exceeding the number of people expected to attend the Masses there.
He said that we could not blame the people or the devotees to show their love and devotion to the Holy Child. / dcb