Bishop Julito Cortes appealed to the faithful to pray for Dumaguete City’s officials and all those hit by COVID-19, and to observe health protocols to prevent the further spread of the virus.
“Let us pray even more: individually, as family, as community. Let us together beseech the Lord to deliver us from this calamitous pandemic that has wreaked unimaginable uncertainty and unspeakable grief to many of us,” the Dumaguete bishop said.
Dumaguete City Vice Mayor Allen Gel Cordova died during a bike-for-a-cause activity Sunday, May 30, shortly after he recovered from COVID-19.
Dumaguete Mayor Felipe Remollo and four councilors tested positive for COVID-19 and are currently in isolation.
Cortes, in his appeal to the faithful issued Monday, May 31, said the Diocese of Dumaguete mourns the sudden death of Cordova and wishes to express its deepest condolences to the family he left behind.
“We offer prayers for his eternal repose and for the consolation of his loved ones in this moment of grief,” he said.
The Diocese is also offering masses and prayers for Remollo, the city councillors and many more Dumagueteños and Negrenses who are afflicted by COVID-19, the bishop said.
“We pray for those currently in hospitals, those in isolation or quarantine centers, and those who are in their homes, as well as their families who worry about their condition,” he said.
The bishop also called on the public to observe and honor the recommendations of health professionals to be vigilant and care for others by following safety protocols.
“Wear face masks, even face shields when you go out of your homes; wash or sanitize your hands often; observe social distancing, at least one to two meters from the next person; avoid going out of your houses or eating out when not necessary; and avoid crowded and enclosed places where the Covid-19 virus can spread faster,” the bishop said.
The bishop said they appeal to provincial and city officials to find ways to secure vaccines that can protect the residents of Negros Oriental, especially Dumaguete, from the dreaded Covid19 virus and implement guidelines in making the vaccination process faster.
He also called for prayers for those who have lost loved ones, or lost their means of livelihood.
“Let us please be ready to help those among us who have nothing or have very little to eat,” he said.*