Compostela Mayor: Only family members are allowed during fiesta celebration

| Photo from the LGU Compostela FB page

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Compostela town residents are discouraged from inviting non-family members as they celebrate the annual feast of their patron saint, St. James the Apostle, this weekend.

Mayor Froilan Quiño issued Executive Order No. 10-2021 that prohibits the gathering of people, other than family members, in a household.

Fiesta and related sports activities are also prohibited as a result of the pandemic while curfew will be implemented from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day.

Quiño’s EO will be valid for four days, from July 23 to 26, 2021.

Compostela, a third class municipality in northern Cebu, will be celebrating its an annual feast on July 24 and 25.

In his EO, Quiño said he had to introduce measures that will prevent the spread of the infection among town residents, especially after they noticed “another rise” in the number of new infections.

But as of this writing, data on the number of active cases was unavailable.

“To ensure that there will be no significant transmission, if not zero transmission of the disease, there is a need to reiterate and order the temporary suspension of, and/or regulate mass gatherings and activities relative to the Celebration of the Annual Fiesta of the Municipality, which tend to undermine and jeopardize the effort of the LGU-Compostela in curtailing the spread of Covid 19 disease,” part of the EO reads.

While Quiño’s EO is in effect, gatherings to celebrate baptisms, weddings, anniversaries; thanksgiving parties; press conferences; testimonial dinners; team building; oath taking; retirement honors; and blessings, among others, are also prohibited.

The conduct of religious activities in the barangays and private chapels or churches are also prohibited.

Crowd at the the St. James the Apostle Parish Church will also be limited to only 50% of its actual capacity.

Quiño’s EO also discourages the conduct of trade fairs, drum and bugle and other team practice, motorcades, parades, and other sports activities. / dcb