Faithful devotees of the Black Nazarene flocked to Quiapo Church on Friday, more than two weeks after the church resumed Mass services.

• 5-minute prayers, 10-person Mass: Quiapo Church reopens with new pandemic protocols

Only 10 people were allowed to attend the first Mass at 5 a.m. and the same number of devotees was permitted inside the church at 6 a.m. Scores of people waited their turn to enter the basilica while also observing physical distancing.

Some people said they have been waiting to enter the church since 5 a.m.

When there is no Mass, the church allows 50 people to pray inside for 5 minutes. Holy Eucharist was also distributed to devotees outside.

The government has retained the 10-people limit on religious gatherings in general community quarantine areas such as Metro Manila due to the high number of COVID-19 cases.

The Philippines, with its 100 million people, is the bastion of Roman Catholicism in Asia, with 8 in 10 people subscribing to the faith. Spanish colonizers brought the religion in the 1500s.

ABS-CBN TeleRadyo, June 19, 2020