No one was pleased with Malacañang’s eleventh-hour announcement that Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) was to be extended over Metro Manila until September 15, delaying the shift to General Community Quarantine (GCQ) with granular lockdowns.
And when we say no one, we mean no one. The San Fernando de Dilao Parish Church in Paco, Manila, made its feelings known when it posted about the cancellation of Mass schedules for the coming weeks.
You can hear the pent-up annoyance in their words: “Dahil po sa pabago-bagong desisyon ng gobyerno, hindi po muna matutuloy ang mga pampublikong misa natin bukas, September 8, at sa mga susunod na Linggo hanggang sa maging maayos po ang desisyon ng IATF,” the announcement read.
(Translation: “Because of the fickle decision-making of the government, the public Mass scheduled for tomorrow, September 8, is cancelled, along with those for the coming Sundays until the IATF can make a proper decision.”)
The announcement to extend MECQ was made my Malacañang spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday evening, September 7. “Metro Manila’s current risk classification as MECQ shall be maintained until September 15, 2021, or until the pilot GCQ with Alert Level System is implemented, whichever comes first,” Roque said during a press conference.
Under these guidelines, all religious services are only allowed to be performed through online video recording and transmission shall be allowed.
The Paco Church post also announced that it will livestream the High Mass on September 8 at 7:30am on its Facebook and YouTube pages.
Read: The 10 Coconuttiest moments in the history of Coconuts Manila
Update: 8 September 2021
It seems like other parishes are fed up as well. Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted in Pasay City; San Antonio de Padua Parish in Cubao; and the Basilica Minore de San Pedro Bautista are among those to have used a variation of this announcement. God help us.
