Year: 2020

Circular No. 20-32
7 May 2020

Your Eminences, Excellencies, and Diocesan Administrators:

RE: Statement on the Closure of ABS-CBN

        My first thought in the currently much talked-about closure of ABS-CBN is our people – our people who are in these extremely difficult and trying times because of the coronavirus pandemic.

        Because of the closure of this broadcast station, our people have lost one of our country’s major sources of information which is crucial to our people in this present situation. If I may add, they also have lost a source of entertainment and diversion during these days of confinement in their homes for more than two months already due to the lockdown measures.

        These days our people truly need more than ever broadcast services that would bring them the much-needed information in this time of crisis.

           With this consideration, I sincerely hope and pray that our government, especially our Congress, will work together to resolve the issue so that ABS-CBN may be allowed to resume its broadcast the soonest to the benefit of our people who really need as many as possible sources of good and reliable information in this time of suffering and distress.

Statement of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Social Communications on the Shutting Down of ABS CBN

The Peace of our Lord be to all!

The CBCP Episcopal Commission on Social Communications is aware of the sentiments of our people regarding the lapse of the franchise of ABS CBN and the cease and desist order imposed upon them by the NTC. We recognize the importance of the role of the same corporation in the Philippine democratic landscape, as they, together with all other Philippine media entities represent the voice of the freedom of the press. They are part of the many media channels that contribute to the timely, objective and truthful dissemination of news and information bringing guidance and support to our people especially during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. We are aware of the fact that their closure also jeopardizes the livelihood of more than 11,000 employees, their families, and those whose businesses are directly or indirectly connected and are dependent on the continuous operation of the same media network.

To make our religious activities safer from the spread of the virus

Note: These guidelines are given due to our extraordinary situation. They are therefore temporary in nature. Furthermore, the situation is so fluid that we foresee that there will be other guidelines that will follow when the situation changes or when there are other directives that will come from the government or from the church hierarchy. These guidelines are given so that we are prepared when religious services will already be allowed.

Schedules:

1.         There should be at least a half hour gap between masses to allow the church to be disinfected after each service.

2.         Since we have lesser masses on Sundays, we can have more services on weekdays.

3.         Ask the people to come on the times when there are lesser people. Encourage the faithful to come on weekday masses if they cannot come on Sundays.

4.         The presence of difficulty, and in some cases impossibility, of fulfilling the Sunday obligation renders the obligation suspended during these extraordinary circumstances.   While Sunday and weekday Masses will already be celebrated in parishes, the live streaming of Masses, at least on Sundays, will continue for those who are unable to participate in the community celebrations due to sickness, old age, fear and caution.

5.         Because we will have lesser mass schedules on Sundays and less people can come on Sundays, the parishes may start their “anticipated masses” on Saturdays at 3 pm, thus have three or four masses on Saturdays and invite the people to join in these masses.

6.         We can have more schedules of baptisms during the week so that people will not congregate on Sundays

Physical structure:

1.         Clearly mark the entrance and exits to the church so that incoming people will not meet outgoing ones. Have marshals who shall man the entrance and exits on Sundays to keep order.

2.         Each entrance and exit should have footbath container.

3.         There should be hand sanitizers at the entrances.

4.         The places to be occupied in the pews should be indicated to help people keep social/ physical distancing. The people should strictly occupy only those places indicated.

5.         There should be notices in front of religious images telling people not to touch or wipe the images. Short prayers can be posted in front of the images to help the people pray in front of them.

6.         All holy water fonts should be emptied and covered so that they may not be used.

7.         If the adoration chapel is small and enclosed, it is better not to open it. Encourage the people to pray in church instead.

8.         Let there be non-touch garbage disposal bins in parish offices and around the church and remind the people to dispose their waste in the proper places. The maintenance people in the parishes are to be taught to properly dispose the garbage.

9.         Let the parish comfort rooms be properly maintained and soap be available for proper hand washing.

10.       For those churches which are air-conditioned, it would be better if the air-conditioning is not used during this time. It will not be so hot after all  because there will not be any over-crowding. Explain to the people that open areas are better than closed spaces to ward off the virus.

MEDIA PRACTITIONERS, together with first responders among whom are our besieged health workers, have held the line against the further spread of the pandemic in our country.

The NTC’s “Cease and Desist” order to ABS-CBN to abruptly shut down its operations comes at the worst of times.  It comes at a time when we are trying to contain a contagion that has brought our nation down on its knees.  Never before did our country need to unify all our citizens where communication is crucial, and unimpeded independent media is vital. 

The ABS-CBN network with the widest reach in the country not only has the potential but in fact has been helping to inform and mobilize our people to put up our community defenses against the deadly coronavirus.

Our people felt assured by the position of our legislators that the reasonable solution is a provisional permit while the renewal of the franchise was being considered by the Congress, with its sole power to make that decision.  The NTC seemed agreeable to it with the favorable opinion of the Secretary of Justice.  The turn of events otherwise through the initiative of the Solicitor General is a disservice to our people who are already struggling to survive on a day-to-day basis and look to responsible media to inform their decisions and actions in that regard.

Moreover, the NTC action in the face of the inactivity of Congress runs contrary to the mandates in the Constitution: 

“The State SHALL provide the policy environment” for “communication structures suitable to the NEEDS of the nation and the BALANCED FLOW of information…across the country.”  (Article XVI, Section 10, General Provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution)

We support the ABS-CBN’s right to a free and fair process.  We thank its frontliners for their invaluable work to motivate our people to focus on the one undertaking that must bring us together at this time: to defeat the pandemic and provide a better future particularly to those who are most vulnerable among our people.

We call on the courage our people have shown in the past against repressive rule to express themselves again for the common good.

Signatories of Framers of the 1987 Constitution:
Felicitas Arroyo
Florangel Rosario Braid
Ed Garcia and
Christian S. Monsod

NASSA/CARITAS PH
May 6, 2020

On May 5, 2020, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has issued a cease-and-desist order against broadcast media giant, ABS-CBN, due to the expiration of its congressional franchise citing Republic Act 3846 or the Radio Control Law.

Since 2016, ABS-CBN worked for franchise renewal, and bills had been filed since then, and many congressional hearings were held, until it was overtaken by the COVID-19 pandemic. The non-renewal was further caused by the legislative inaction and weaponizing of power for political gain.

It is very unfortunate that we need to be sidelined by this equally important matter when the nation is battling against an invisible enemy, claiming thousands of lives already and endangering even millions more due to the devastating socio-economic impacts of the global health emergency.

Thus as the social action arm of the Catholic Church in the Philippines, NASSA/Caritas Philippines would like to:

1. Express solidarity and sympathy with the employees and their families who would lose their jobs when the network operation stops. We know that this is the most inopportune time for this to happen, when people are already in crisis and are suffering.

2. Appeal for government’s sense of fairness and clemency in applying the letter of the law in view of the common good and to respect the right of the people to have wide access to news and information being provided by the network. Media should be considered a partner in nation building, and it should not be unnecessarily harassed when they are critical or not towing the line of any administration.

3. Stand for freedom of the press and speech. The government or any political figure for that matter do not have the right to curtail these freedoms safeguarded and warranted in the Philippine constitution. We encourage our government leaders to be brave enough to face the public with the truth, and not hide under the guise of political power, harassment and intimidation.

4. Pray that in this time of pandemic, those in position will choose mercy and compassion over personal interests; moral obligation versus legal requirements, and people over powerplay.

The press (media) is considered the fourth state: “the guardian of veritas (truth)” and holds a special responsibility to influence, form and inspire the public with the truth. The Catholic Church, through NASSA/Caritas Philippines will and always stand for and with the truth, through love, justice and peace.

Together, let us heal as one. We are Caritas.

Signed:

Bp. Jose Colin Bagaforo, D.D.
National Director, NASSA/Caritas Philippines

Bp. Gerardo Alminaza, D.D.
Vice Chair, Episcopal Commission on Social Action-Justice and Peace (ECSA-JP)

Goodness is an Overflow of God’s Goodness to Us!

The Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas affirms and congratulates the Inter-Agency Task Force for its hard work and effort in stemming the tide of the Pandemic Virus.  We are highly cognizant of the measures it has implemented to address the impact of the pandemic in the economy, food security and the general well-being of the Filipino people. Hence as good citizens, we gladly complied with the guidelines set-forth by the IATF to prevent even more the spread of the Covid-19.

As the IATF continues to assess its next moves after May 15, 2020, and with the withdrawal of its earlier decision to allow Religious gatherings (in general)  in areas declared as General Community Quarantines (GCQ), we present  this appeal so as to give the Filipinos a sense of the new normal in their spiritual gatherings and an opportunity to uplift  our Spiritual Well-being,  which are both humane and essential.

The Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas believes that giving the people the opportunity to connect with the Almighty God, especially through religious encounters and spiritual events will directly translate into goodness for themselves and for others. These are great opportunities to inspire and challenge them to do good things and share from the treasury of their good heart. “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart” (Luke 6:45)

We recommend that a further review be made, which may include looking into the possibility of delegating this decision to the local executives, who have greater appreciation, information and control over the Religious groups present among their constituents. We are willing to submit our plans, protocols and guidelines to assure them of our strict observance of these safety and health measures.

With strict compliance to Government Guidelines on Social Distancing and Sanitation, the lay faithful requests for Religious Gatherings (Ex. Catholic Masses, Baptisms, Anointing of the Sick and Funerals, etc.) to be allowed in the GCQ areas. We demand that our right to religious worship be not curtailed when the necessary safeguards are followed.

 For the Laiko Board of Directors,

ROUQUEL A. PONTE
President
04 May 2020

Every 3rd week of May, Catholics in the entire world are celebrating the release of Laudato si’, Pope Francis’ encyclical letter to all mankind calling everyone to “Listen to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor”. This is the 5th year since its release. Amidst the ecological crises and this pandemic that we are facing, Catholics are once again called to reflect Pope Francis’ call.

Ecological Crisis and Coronavirus 2019

Before the coronavirus ravaged the entire world, let us not forget that we are in the brink of the 6th mass extinction as projected by scientists from 153 countries. With the unprecedented heating up of the atmosphere, garbage, deforestation, continuous extraction of minerals from the surface of the earth, and pollution, the earth is a mess, and almost dead. It is as filthy as a pit. But mankind behave like everything is normal and okay, it consumes as if our resources is unlimited, as if we are not in ecological crisis, and as if no one is suffering.

And then coronavirus happened. Coronavirus 2019 is a virus that scientists believed to have come from wild animals that are consumed in Wuhan, China where the virus originated. Primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall said that the “global disregard of nature has brought the coronavirus pandemic”. As people destroy the animals’ home and hunt wild animals for food, transfer of virus from animals to humans become inevitable. Read more

2020 Laudato Si Celebration

The battle to stop this pandemic may take time, recovering may take even longer. The Pope, through the Laudato Si, is again inviting us to reflect on the state of the environment and its impact to the poorest sector of society who are suffering the most to ‘Listen to the Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor’.

The Philippine Misereor Partnership, Inc. (PMPI) is responding through a week of more pronounced actions: