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CEBU CITY, Philippines – Officials in Cebu are now considering easing restrictions in observing the Holy Week this 2022 as the COVID-19 outbreak in the province is becoming more manageable.
Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said she will be meeting with church officials from the Archdiocese of Cebu soon to discuss preparations for the Lenten season.
In particular, the possibility of lifting several restrictions that were put in place for religious activities.
“I believe in light of all of these we too must be able to adapt our guidelines especially in so far as the coming holy week activities are concerned,” said Garcia in a recent press interview.
If it pushes through, crowd-gathering activities such as the Visita Iglesia, processions, and Sugat may be revived.
However, the governor requested not to give further details, saying she does not want to preempt the decisions of the Catholic church.
“I speak not because I wish to meddle with the affairs of the Church. But I speak from the viewpoint of a governor who has always valued our custom, our traditions, our heritage, and the activities that are part of the observation of the Holy Week,” explained Garcia.
Last Wednesday, March 2, Catholics marked the start of Lent with Ash Wednesday.
Holy Week for this year will fall between April 11 to April 16.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, both the state and church disallowed several activities during the Holy Week, including external events, to curb the spread of the infection.
Cebu province is currently under Alert Level 2.
/bmjo
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