Mayor pushes ‘50 percent’ solution in church services

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Mayor Evelio Leonardia asked the national government to allow churches to hold religious services at 50 percent occupancy or capacity.

In a letter to the National Inter-Agency Task Force (NIATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases, Leonardia sought reconsideration on the rule limiting the number of attendees to religious gatherings to a maximum of 10 persons for areas under General Community Quarantine (GCQ).

Bacolod City and the province of Negros Occidental are under GCQ after being categorized by the NIATF as low risk areas to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The mayor said church leaders here are asking that they be allowed to hold worship and prayer services with attendance at 50 percent of the seating capacity, including the celebrant or pastor and their assistants.

Leonardia said that church leaders are willing to abide with all the other health protocols during the gatherings such as the mandatory wearing of face masks, marked seats in the pews for physical distancing, and disinfection of the venue and seats after each mass or worship/prayer service.

“The church leaders are all aware of the health risks in such large gatherings but the need for spiritual nourishment and a connection to the Almighty, at a time of crisis like this, is also deep and overwhelming,” he said.

“In fact, we believe, allowing the faithful access to their religious rites, services and sacraments, but with careful precautions, can only strengthen our mental and spiritual health that we also need to fight off COVID-19.”

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said that masses are already allowed in the cities and municipalities in the province but subject to minimum health standards.