Over 140 pets were blessed on Saturday after a barangay in Pasig City launched the city's first-ever drive-thru animal blessing amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Barangay San Antonio Chairman Raymond Lising said that the drive-thru pet blessing held on Emerald Avenue in Ortigas Center was in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and ecology.
He added that a total of 147 pets of all shapes and sizes were blessed during the said event.
The barangay chairman said that they made it a drive-thru blessing in order to ensure the safety of pet parents and their pets during the pandemic.
“Unlike our usual social services programs, this type of program brings the community closer together. This is why we want these unconventional programs because we unite as a community,” Lising said.
Prior to the pandemic, Barangay San Antonio had been conducting pet blessings since 2017. However, it was suspended in 2019 after Metro Manila was placed on lockdown.