For the whole month of May, young girls and boys wearing white robes and angel wings flock to Philippine churches and chapels to pay homage to Mother Mary by offering flowers. The month-long festival is popularly known as Flores de Mayo. | file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) reminded the barangays to avoid holding fiesta celebrations that could potentially lead to public gatherings.
Councilor Joel Garganera, the deputy chief implementor of the EOC, said that while the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation in the city has greatly improved, this doesn’t mean the public must already be complacent.
Religious fiestas in parishes should take cognizance of how meticulous and strict the planning of the Quincentennial Activities were conducted.
He said that any form of activities that could potentially draw crowds should be scratched, such as motorcades, parades, processions, and fanfares.
Understandably, parishes can expect parishioners to attend the masses in relation to the fiestas, so these masses must be coordinated with the barangays and the police to ensure social distancing and minimum health protocols are followed.
Other than the fiesta masses, typical celebrations like Flores de Mayo and Santacruzan are highly discouraged. Should a barangay push through with celebrating these, it must first get an approval from the EOC and the police.
“So far wala paman ta nakadawat og request nga magpyesta ang barangays kay that would really draw crowds. Ato lang sa EOC, dili lang sa ta magpyesta,” said Garganera.
The councilor understands that many people now want a semblance of normal life such as the fiestas, but he said that as long as herd immunity has not been achieved, people will have to stay vigilant.
He encouraged people to register and participate in the city’s vaccination program so that perhaps in the next year, barangays can freely celebrate Flores de Mayo and Santacruzan, again.
/bmjo
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