The first day of “Simbang Gabi” where Filipino Catholics visit churches to attend dawn masses in preparation for Christmas Day went “generally peaceful,” the Philippine National Police (PNP) assessed Friday, Dec. 17.

PNP Chief General Dionardo Carlos said that no significant peace and order concerns or untoward incidents were monitored throughout Thursday dawn, December 16, when the traditional nine-day Simbang Gabi or Misa de Gallo started nationwide.

This, despite the restrictions in movement and activities under Alert Level 2 and early effects of typhoon “Odette” in Visayas and Mindanao.

“The PNP has deployed enough personnel to ensure security around church vicinities. We can only do so much and the discipline shown by church-goers has greatly contributed to the safe and peaceful celebration of the dawn masses,” Carlos said.

A total of 28,684 police personnel and 67,566 force multipliers were deployed by the PNP for the Simbang Gabi security operations. This operational template will be the standard for the succeeding days of the traditional religious observance, the Chief PNP said.

Carlos also applauded the preparation and proactive planning of various parishes nationwide to ensure the strict implementation of safety protocols in churches amid the threat of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

“We don’t want to lower our guard at this time when the presence of Omicron variant has been detected on two travelers who arrived in the country,” Carlos emphasized, referring to the first two imported cases of Omicron variant in the Philippines that were reported earlier this week.

Aside from the PNP, local government units (LGUs) also took part in augmenting security forces for the coordinated direction of people and smooth flow of vehicular and foot traffic around parishes.