| A huge crowd gathered for the ‘Sugat’ at the Pardo Church in Cebu City on Easter Sunday, April 17, 2022. | Rick Gabuya
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The celebration of Holy Week here was not only orderly but also compliant with existing health protocols, according to local officials.
For the city’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), the recently concluded Lent was a peaceful and successful celebration despite easing of most of the anti-COVID restrictions.
“Overall it was a peaceful and successful celebration of the Lenten season. It’s been two years that we were not able to celebrate our Holy Week tradition… Maayo kaayo labi na sa pagtuman sa atong (Everything was okay especially the compliance with) health protocol,” said Councilor Joel Garganera, the EOC’s chief implementer.
Garganera also said the influx of marketgoers in Carbon Public Market who bought ingredients for binignit, a Lenten staple, was manageable.
“Gani hapsay kaayo ang pagpangompra sa mga sagol sa binignit diha sa carbon ug sa mga merkado sukwahi sa niaging mga tuig,” he added.
(Visits made at the Carbon market and other markets to but ingredients for binignit were very orderly unlike last year.)
This year, the city government allowed the Roman Catholic Church and devotees to hold gatherings and other Lenten activities two years after these were halted due to threats of COVID-19.
Among the traditional Holy Week activities that were allowed this year were the processions, Visita Iglesia, and Buhing Kalbaryo.
Cebu City was under Alert Level 1, the most lenient quarantine classification, during the observance of Holy Week.
In the meantime, Garganera reminded the public to continue to follow minimum health standards.
“Gamay na tuod ang atong kaso sa Covid sa atong syudad apan wala na nagpsabot nga si Covid wala na. Naa gihapon busa padayon guihapon ta pagtuman aron maluwas ta sa dili madugay ning maong pandemya,” he said.
(We now have very few COVID cases but this does not mean that COVID no longer exist. COVID is still here that is why we should continue to comply [with health and safety protocols] so we could be saved from the pandemic.)
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/ dcb