Due to the surge in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the country, parish churches in the Dioceses of Cubao and Novaliches will be on lockdown for two weeks starting March 22. 

"With the rising surge of cases of infection swirling around us, the Diocese of Cubao has decided to declare a lockdown of its parish churches for the period March 22 to April 4, 2021," Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco said in a statement on Sunday, March 21.

"This is to encourage the faithful to stay home and keep them safe," he added.

Although voluntarily closing the places of worship at the highest point of the liturgical year is "heartbreaking," Ongtioco said: We also open our eyes to a situation that puts many of our faithful at risk. 

"Numbers are surging and scientific data show that unless drastic interventions are done, these numbers will not decline anytime soon," he said.

“Together, we must embrace an act of self-denial for the sake of many of our brothers and sisters," added Ongtioco.

He assured that religious leaders and relevant ministries will exert all possible efforts to find the best and most fruitful ways for the faithful to celebrate Holy Week "on safe, online platforms."

In a circular letter dated March 20, Novaliches Bishop Roberto Gaa said there is a strong need, even major imperative for their parish churches to go into a lock down in order to help arrest the worsening COVID-19 pandemic.

"I believe that if nothing drastic is done and things are left as they are now, the worsening situation could spill further onto other places both within and beyond our Diocese," he said.

"As you may know, almost half of new cases daily come from households and workplaces. Given this fact, it would appear that the only way for us to control the further upsurge of COVID cases is to restrict the movements of people, including those movements by the same people from their work places and their homes into and out of our churches. This I have in mind particularly in view of the coming days ahead leading to Holy Week," added Gaa.

He said that's why he is asking their parish churches to do online streaming of the Holy Masses and other religious and spiritual activities beginning March 22.

"We urge our people to please stay home and simply follow these activities online. We also urge parish offices to cut down their workforce to half and even restrict the movements of their church personnel to church building and grounds only," Gaa added.

"I know how hard this decision might be for many of us Catholics as our churches are places where our people go seek and find refuge, and coming as this is at this holiest time of the year. Still, I take comfort in the words of the Lord in the Gospel reading of this 5th Sunday of Lent, 'Truly, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit' (John 12:24)," he said.

The Diocese of Cubao will reopen for public worship on April 5, Easter Monday, following existing and even stricter safety protocols.

The Diocese of Novaliches, on the other hand, shall resume their activities on site, on Easter Sunday, April 4.