Minors Allowed in Malls with Parents & Family Gatherings Not Allowed this Christmas

Heads up, kids: You can now go Christmas shopping with your parents!

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año announced Monday that the national Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has allowed minors aged 15 below to go to shopping malls as long as they are accompanied by their parents amid the COVID-19 pandemic.  Año also urged local government units to craft ordinances to turn the said policy into law. The Joint Task Force COVID Shield, meanwhile, said that minors will be allowed to go to malls with their parents ONLY if the local governments in their areas will craft an ordinance that allows it.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año announced Monday that mass gatherings, including family reunions, are not allowed during the Christmas season. This is to avoid increased risk of local transmissions due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. He said that only immediate family members are allowed to celebrate Christmas within their households, given that they follow health protocols.

“A family reunion is an occasion of a large gathering when many members of extended families congregate to eat, socialize, and commemorate,” Año explained.

“Tingnan muna ‘yung lugar na pupuntahan nila, ano ba yung restriction na pinapatupad doon tapos i-satisfy nila yun bago sila umalis,” Binag added.

(Just check the protocols in the province they will go to, what are the protocols imposed there and satisfy such protocols before they leave.)

Traditionally, thousands of Filipinos go home to their provinces during the Christmas season to celebrate the holidays with their families.

As of Nov. 30, the Philippines recorded 431,630 COVID-19 cases, with 398,658 recoveries and 8,392 deaths.

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