Pateros Mayor Miguel “Ike” Ponce III has banned mass gatherings and limited the activities to celebrate the Feast of Sta. Martha in the town this month due to the ongoing pandemic.
Ponce issued Executive Order No. 4 (Series of 2022) listing the activities that are prohibited and allowed to commemorate the feast.
“The Feast of Sta. Martha is the most celebrated event in the Municipality of Pateros where people all over Luzon visit the Shrine of Sta Martha and join in the celebration and festivities during the Novena masses and on the eve and on the day of the Town Fiesta consisting mainly of Pagoda sa Daan, Pandangguhan and Street Dancing. Festivities is even bolstered by the presence of cederas or vendors from neighboring cities and provinces tending food and other merchandise on the street,” according to Ponce.
However, he said, activities this year will be limited due to the COVID-19 cases in the municipality.
The mayor said “there is a need to prohibit mass gathering and limit the activities and celebration during the Novena masses and on the eve and on the day of the Feast of Sta. Martha to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus and so as not to spoil the gains from the strict enforcement of the health protocols in the previous months of the pandemic.”
The activities allowed and disallowed to mark the Feast of Sta. Martha are as follows:
- “Novena masses for the Feast of Sta. Martha shall be allowed with the same stringent health protocol being observed inside the church. Participating Barangays may bring their respective Sta. Martha image during the novena but would not engage in street dancing in going to and from the church premises”’
- “‘Pagoda sa Daan’ in any form or by any group or individual is prohibited and shall not be allowed”;
- "’Pandangguhan' in any form or by any group or individual is prohibited and shall not be allowed";
- “Street Dancing in honor of Sta. Martha in any form or by any group or individual is prohibited and shall not be allowed”;
- “Only church sponsored procession shall be allowed but the same shall be in the form of ‘motorcade’ and limited to three (3) vehicles only with social distancing on board the vehicles”;
- “Vendors or ‘cedera’ shall not be allowed on any street or sidewalk within the Municipality of Pateros during the Novena masses and on the eve and day of the Feast of Sta. Martha.”
Ponce said any violator will be penalized under the ordinance on the mandatory observance of social distancing and other applicable laws.