SECURITY plan for the observance of Misa de Gallo (Dawn Mass) that starts today until December 24 has been assured by the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) as it intensifies its measures to ensure the safety of the city this yuletide season.
Misa de Gallo or the devotional nine-day novena masses is a practice of the Roman Catholics before Christmas Day, December 25.
City Public Safety Company (CSPC) Commander Police Superintendent Roy Magsalay said instructions have already been directed to all units and police stations to ensure public safety during the masses held at dawn.
“Naa nay instruction sa atong mga tawo sa CPSC and lahi pud task sa mga police stations,” Magsalay said.
The Explosive Ordnance Division (EOD) has been ordered to be ready on call when bomb threat situation arises.
Police riding motorcycle units will patrol around churches, parks, malls, terminals, tourist destinations and other places of convergence.
The Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) team has also been directed to standby at the Kiosko Kagawasan Divisoria to respond on any organized criminal groups and terrorist perpetrated incidents.
“After sa Simbang Gabi, back to normal duty na pud atong mga tawo (After Simbang Gabi, our police will be back on normal duties),” Magsalay said.
“Naa man police presence from police stations, ang focus pud sa CPSC is mga dagku nga mga churches aron masiguro ang kaluwasan labi na kay kadlawon (There is police presence from the various police stations, while the focus of CPSC is on the big churches to ensure safety especially that it’s dawn),” Magsalay added.
Magsalay reminds churchgoers to be vigilant with their personal belongings and report to police authorities if they notice some suspicious activities and persons.
The Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro released its schedule of masses which will start at 4:00 a.m. with the liturgical theme: ‘Year of Mercy.’
Monsignor Perseus Cabunoc, parish rector in his message said, “As we celebrate the year of the poor, we discover the ‘many faces’ of poorness. We saw in the plight of our Muslim brothers and sisters, the violent activities against our lumad brethren, those victims of human trafficking, the OFWs who suffer so much in the foreign land, the prisoners, those in the hospitals, the scavengers in the garbage, the small farmers and fisherfolks, the sidewalk vendors, the trisikad and motorized drivers, those drug addicts, and the like. How do we as a Church reach out to them.”
Cabunoc hopes that as the faithful practice the virtue of mercy, ”We can convince our inmost self the positive value to eradicate biases and prejudices in dealing with the ‘many faces’ of poor people.”
Catholic devotee Mary Chol Catubay said that as part of the tradition of the Catholic faith, she never fails to complete the nine-morning masses.
“Ingon nila pag naa kay wish matuman if makompleto ang siyam ka adlaw, but for me it is more on the thanksgiving for the blessings that God showers to me for the whole year,” Catubay said.