The Impact of COVID-19 on Church Gatherings in the Philippines: A Policy Analysis

Christian Journal for Global Health

Rena Mallillin¹  Grace Zurielle Malolos²  Erika Ong²  Don Eliseo III Lucero-Prisno³  Emma Teresa Carmela Aportadera⁴  Joseph Christian Obnial⁴  Arianne Andes⁵  Pamela Bianca Pasco⁵  Faith Ann Apat⁶  Rafael Valencia⁷ 

[1] Ateneo de Manila University School of Medicine and Public Health, Pasig City, Philippines;College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, Philippines;Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom;Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines;JONELTA Foundation School of Medicine, University of Perpetual Help Rizal, Las Piñas City, Philippines;Matias H. Aznar Memorial, College of Medicine, Cebu City, Philippines;University of the Philippines Diliman;

关键词: covid-19;    philippines;    policy analysis;    state and church cooperation;   

DOI  :  10.15566/cjgh.v8i1.505

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The Philippines is the largest Christian country in Asia. With church gatherings playing a vital role in the nature of Christianity in the Filipino culture, the advent of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the Philippines posed challenges to public religious practices amid efforts to mitigate COVID-19 community transmission. Various policy pronouncements from both the government-led Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Diseases and the church-led Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) were issued. These guidelines were implemented in order to address the two-pronged problem on healthcare and religious obligations. While these guidelines were initially contributory to the mitigation of disease transmission, varied compliance by Filipinos was observed through the progression of the pandemic. Considering the value that church gatherings and religion play in the lives of the Filipino people, further studies on COVID-19 transmission in the church should be conducted in order to develop more efficient policies and guidelines on the practice of religion, particularly for religious gatherings. Furthermore, a more synergistic state and church cooperation must be encouraged in order to arrive at solutions that will mutually address the concomitant problems of the COVID-19 pandemic.

【 授权许可】

Unknown