The Philippine National Police (PNP) is on heightened alert to ensure public safety and security as the nine-day Simbang Gabi begins today, 16 December.

PNP chief General Rommel Francisco Marbil, in an order issued on Sunday, directed all police units to implement “comprehensive security measures” in collaboration with local government units (LGUs), church officials, and other stakeholders to protect the devotees attending the traditional nine-day series of dawn Masses.

Simbang Gabi is a cherished tradition among Filipino Catholics, celebrated early in the morning in anticipation of Christmas on 25 December, a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

As part of the preparations, Marbil mandated the deployment of police assistance desks (PADs) near churches to provide support to the public.

“Our priority is to provide a safe and peaceful environment for all devotees participating in this sacred tradition. We have increased police presence in churches and surrounding areas to ensure public safety throughout the Simbang Gabi period,” he said.

Marbil also instructed all PNP units to intensify patrols in high-traffic areas such as public transport terminals, parking lots, and marketplaces. Additionally, he emphasized the continued monitoring of crime-prone locations to “prevent potential threats” during the holidays.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle previously noted that Simbang Gabi is a deeply-rooted Filipino traditional and “expression of filial devotion.”

“Simbang Gabi is a typical Filipino way of preparing for the great feast of Christmas,” Tagle said. “For Filipino Catholics, [it] is above all an expression of their filial devotion to Mary, the Mother of God,” the prelate added.

He also encouraged faithfuls to practice the Simbang Gabi, whether at dawn or in the evening, noting it as “a great source of spiritual nourishment.”

“Throughout the centuries, Simbang Gabi or Misa de Aguinaldo has been preserved, enriched, and sustained by our people in spite of pastoral and liturgical challenges it underwent,” Tagle continued.

“Today, everywhere in the Philippines, Simbang Gabi is celebrated with great solemnity, with the singing of the ‘Gloria,’ in white vestments, and with Christmas carols and festive ornamentations, in contrast with the sober character of the Advent season,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Archdiocese of Manila reminded private institutions planning to hold Simbang Gabi outside churches that they need to seek “explicit permission” from Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula.

“Our Archdiocesan policy provides that if Simbang Gabi Masses are to be celebrated in chapels, offices, or places other than the parish church, shrine, or chaplaincy, explicit permission from the Archbishop of Manila has to be sought,” Advincula said.

At the same time, Advincula added that all Simbang Gabi Masses can start as early as 7 p.m. for evening Masses, while the final dawn Masses can begin at 5:30 a.m., as recommended by the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission.

On Christmas Eve, the Vigil Mass of Christmas may be celebrated as early as 6 p.m. as the last Mass on 24 December, while the dawn Mass for Christmas is celebrated on the early morning of 25 December.

Advincula also urged parish priests to enjoin their parishioners to attend Simbang Gabi.

“Let’s encourage our parishioners to pray together as families so that the seasons of Advent and Christmas will be occasioned by meaningful encounters with the Lord,” he added.

Originating in 1669 during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, Simbang Gabi started to allow farmers to attend Masses before starting their work in the early morning.

From 1680 to 1689, however, this practice was temporarily halted following a decree from the Holy See against the singing of hymns in native languages.

In 1953, the First Plenary Council of the Philippines petitioned the Holy See to continue the practice of Misa de Gallo which was granted in 1961.