The rector of the EDSA Shrine has appealed to the public to observe proper decorum and respect within the sacred place, especially amid the recent influx of visitors.

Rev. Fr. Jerome Secillano said that hundreds of people flocked to the shrine on Tuesday morning, some of whom stayed for extended periods, attending multiple Masses and engaging in activities that may disrupt the sanctity of the place.

“We will allow them to stay inside the shrine on the pretext that they are praying and not doing things not proper for a house of worship,” Secillano said. “We insist that proper decorum be practiced in this sacred place, a house of worship and a repository of the Blessed Sacrament.”

However, he stressed that activities such as eating, drinking, carrying slogans, shouting, vlogging, sleeping, making noise, debating and loitering in areas leading to the shrine doors are prohibited.

“The latter will give the impression to mass-goers, pilgrims, and devotees that the Shrine is not available for worship and prayer,” Secillano said.