DTI appeals to churches: Support fresh ban on religious gatherings amid COVID-19 surge

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Tuesday called on religious groups to support the temporary ban on religious gatherings in Metro Manila and certain neighboring areas amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Trade Undersecretary Ruth Castelo said the directive banning religious gatherings in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal for two weeks was not merely made on a whim since it was decided on “for the good of everybody.”

“As a religious organization, I will think that they will also support this move because it’s for the general welfare,” she said at a virtual forum. “This is one way of showing that they also help us in promoting general welfare.”

Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David on Monday expressed disappointment at the ban, which will coincide with the Holy Week, pointing out that the government closed down churches but allowed gyms and spas to remain open.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines also said this seemed to be a “double standard.”

For Castelo, churches cannot be compared to fitness centers.

“For fitness centers, you are required to observe one-meter physical distancing from the next person,” she said.

“In churches, especially if it’s an enclosed area… yes, you can observe physical distancing but when you start singing, there is saliva involved so you release that and you don’t know what’s going to happen, where the droplets will go,” she added.

The DTI official appealed for the public to “observe in the privacy of our homes the religious rituals that we will perform during Holy Week.”

Malacañang earlier said gyms and spas can remain open in areas under the “bubble” unless local governments say otherwise.

The Metro Manila Council has voted to close down such establishments for the next two weeks.

The Philippines logged a record-high 8,019 new COVID-19 cases on Monday afternoon, bringing total infections to 671,792 with 577,850 recoveries and 12,972 deaths. -MDM, GMA News