Caroling, Christmas office parties not allowed in Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines — The traditional caroling ahead of Christmas as well as holiday parties in offices will not be allowed in Metro Manila, Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez said Monday.

“Yung pong atin pong pagsu-suspend ng atin mga caroling, hindi po papayagan po yung caroling at yun pong ating Christmas party sa lahat po ng ating public offices,” Olivarez, head of the Metro Manila Council (MMC) said in an interview on Teleradyo when asked what were discussed during a meeting Sunday night among mayors.

(We talked about the suspension of caroling; caroling will not be allowed, as well as Christmas parties, in public offices.)

Olivarez also said that the private sector is discouraged from holding Christmas parties, citing the restriction on public gatherings.

“Do’n po sa ating mga private offices, dini-discourage po natin ang Christmas party natin, mananatili pong 10 persons per gathering,” he said.

(With regards to private offices, conducting Christmas parties is discouraged because our limit for gatherings remains at 10 persons per gathering only.)

Olivarez said the MMC has already recommended to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases the retention of the general community quarantine (GCQ) in their areas until the end of the year.

Most parts of the country have been under the less restrictive GCQ or modified GCQ the past few weeks.

Metro Manila, Batangas, Iloilo City, Bacolod City, Tacloban City, Iligan City, and Lanao del Sur were placed under GCQ for the entire month of November while the rest of the country remained under MGCQ.

President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to announce the country’s quarantine classifications for December.

As of Sunday, the Philippines reported over 425,000 COVID-19 cases. Of the number, 387,616 recoveries and 8,255 deaths.

JE