By Antonio Colina IV DAVAO CITY – Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte said Holy Week traditions will have to be canceled this year to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), and, instead, advised Catholics to just observe Lent at home. Duterte said in live interview over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) 87.5 on Thursday that she had declined requests made by two churches in the city to push through with their annual Lenten traditions. Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio (MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) She said one church planned to go house-to-house to administer holy communion, while the other wanted to push through with an annual procession. Both assured they would strictly observe physical distancing. “We don’t allow them. I’m sorry. This is a year that we need to forego of the rituals but we should not forego of our prayers, in our residences,” she said. She said the Archdiocese of Davao would do a live telecast of the Eucharistic celebrations from San Pedro Cathedral over Facebook. Since the community quarantine last month, the archdiocese has been live streaming masses over the Facebook page of the DXGN 89.9 FM. The church-run radio station broadcast at 6 p.m. on Maundy Thursday the “Mass of Our Lord’s Supper”. In its advisory, it would stream live the “Celebration of the Lord’s Passion” and “Holy Rosary” on Good Friday and Easter Vigil on Saturday at 3 p.m. “According to Monsignor Paul Cuizon, they were ordered by the Vatican to do live streaming. So, they will stream live from the San Pedro Cathedral. This is not open to the public so (the celebration) will only be attended by the Archbishop (Romulo Valles), other priests, and other technical people,” she added. Devotees would normally flock to several churches in the city during Lent for the annual Visita Iglesia and Stations of the Cross, and to hear mass.