JTF COVID Shield backs proposal to ban Christmas caroling

November 8, 2020

The Joint Task Force COVID Shield on Sunday expressed support on the proposal to ban caroling for the Yuletide season as it could pose danger, especially for the children, due to coronavirus disease pandemic.

Police Lieutenant General Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, JTF commander, said they are currently waiting the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) with regard to the proposal.

“Caroling has always been part of the Filipino tradition. I believe each and every one of us has his or her funny and meaningful stories of caroling especially when we were children. This is what makes the Christmas of every Filipino memorable and exciting one,” said Eleazar.

“But the situation is currently different. We are facing a serious threat of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and we in the JTF COVID Shield believe that it is in the health interest of everybody if we could just stay home and enjoy the Yuletide season with our family,” he added.

In coordination with Philippine National Police Chief General Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, Eleazar also instructed police commanders to coordinate with their respective local government unit (LGUs) with regard to caroling.

If the caroling ban is approved, the JTF commander encouraged the parents to explain to their children why there is a need to skip the traditional caroling at least for this year.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, who is the Vice Chairman of the National Task Force Against COVID-19, also supports the caroling ban this year.

Año said he would recommend the ban on caroling nationwide. Ella Dionisio/DMS