Churchgoers attend the last day of the Misa de Gallo, which also marks the final day of Advent, at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu in Cebu City on Tuesday, December 24. | Photo from the FB page of Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu
CEBU CITY, Philippines – This year’s celebration of the Misa de Gallo in Central Visayas was a success, with law enforcers describing the event as overwhelmingly “peaceful and secure.”
In a social media post on Christmas Day, December 25, the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) said that large crowds gathered in the different churches in the region from December 16 to 24 to attend the dawn masses.
PRO-7 said that Misa de Gallo 2024 ended with remarkable success with no significant disturbances recorded in Central Visayas.
READ: Misa De Gallo: Police in Cebu province gear up for religious event
“We are proud to report that the celebration concluded without any major incidents,” Police Brigadier General Roy Parena, the officer-in-charge of PRO-7 was quoted saying in the same post.
Parena credited the safety measures that were implemented by law enforcers in the region to ensure the public’s safety during the busy holiday season.
READ: PRO-7: Zero crimes recorded in first two days of Misa De Gallo
Moreover, he said that the sense of unity and spiritual fulfillment that the Misa de Gallo brought to churchgoers also helped in their smooth management of the crowd control and peace and order.
Highest security level
Parena said that PRO-7 personnel were prepared to implement the ‘highest security level,’ because aside from securing churches, they also ensured police visibility in other places of convergence this holiday season, that included malls, terminals, markets and major thoroughfares.
READ: Mandaue City to mobilize 300 policemen for ‘Misa de Gallo’ safety
The implementation of their security plan was part of the national government’s “Ligtas Paskuhan 2024.” This also includes the enforcement of Republic Act No. 7183, which targets the illegal sale and manufacture of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices.
Prohibited firecrackers
As of this writing, PRO-7 already seized prohibited firecrackers in Brgys. Datag, Maribago, and Poblacion in Lapu-Lapu City, as well as Brgy. Poblacion in Danao City and Brgy. Tabunok in Talisay City.
In addition, they also recorded one firecracker-related injury that happened at around 11 a.m. on Monday, December 23.
The incident happened in Brgy. Casay, Dalaguete town in southern Cebu. It involved a 17-year-old boy who reportedly sustained injuries while lighting a lantaca, an improvised cannon made using a bamboo pole.
The cannon exploded close to the teenager’s face and debris struck his eyes. He was immediately brought to the nearest hospital for medical treatment.