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Bishop urges faithful to support medical frontliners by 'staying at home'

Philippines | National

Bishop urges faithful to support medical frontliners by 'staying at home'

By Leslie Ann Aquino

How can the faithful show solidarity to medical frontliners who recently called for a "time out" amid the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country?

By staying at home.

(JANSEN ROMERO / MANILA BULLETIN)

Kidapawan Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, chairman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines National Secretariat for Social Action (CBCP-NASSA), made the suggestion in a statement posted by NASSA in their Facebook page Monday that read: "Staying at home is the only way everyone can show solidarity and compassion to our frontliners."

"Let's do everything we can to help them," added Bagaforo.

On August 1, the medical societies appealed for a two week time-out to address “healthcare workforce deficiency, failure of case finding and isolation, failure of contact tracing and quarantine, transportation safety, and workplace safety public compliance.”

In response to the call, President Duterte placed Metro Manila, Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite, and Rizal under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from August 4 to 18.

Catholic prelates also responded to the call of medical frontliners by suspending public liturgical services in their respective dioceses.

Public liturgical services are suspended in the Archdiocese of Manila the Dioceses of Cubao and Paranaque from August 3 to 14 while the Diocese of Pasig suspended it from August 4 to 14.

The Diocese of Antipolo temporarily suspended Holy Mass with congregation from August 4 to 18 due to the MECQ.

Although outside Metro Manila, the Diocese of Balanga also reverted to the live streaming of the celebration of Holy Masses from August 4 to 16 for public safety as Covid cases in Bataan are still prevalent.

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