The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Friday said it had issued an advisory to remind the local government units on the prohibition of mass gatherings under general community quarantine which is a policy of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
The reminder from DILG was made in preparation for the President’s State-of-the-Nation address on Monday, July 27 when groups usually stage pro- and anti-government rallies.
The policy banning mass gatherings was made under an IATF resolution which “states that all forms of mass gatherings are prohibited under community quarantine and that includes rallies and demonstrations,” the DILG said.
Jonathan Malaya, DILG undersecretary and spokesperson, said that the DILG simply issued an advisory “cascading that policy to all LGUs” so they can be guided on plans for mass gatherings or protest actions in their areas during the President’s SONA.
The DILG advisory states that the “IATF strongly reiterates that mass gatherings, such as but not limited to movie screenings, sporting events, and other entertainment activities, community assemblies and non-essential work gatherings are prohibited.”