PHILIPPINES – Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma has urged Catholics to avoid playing the popular game Pokemon Go during masses and instead focus their full attention to the holy ceremony.
Palma made the call as he noticed that some of the churchgoers were busy tinkering on their mobile phone, apparently playing Pokemon Go, while the mass is ongoing.
He also urged Pokemon Go players not to focus on their mobile phones while driving or while crossing the street to avoid accidents.
Earlier, the Cebu Provincial Board (PB) has approved a resolution calling for a ban of the game inside schools.
The PB approved the resolution, authored by Board Member Glen Bercede, asking the Department of Education to issue a memorandum prohibiting the playing, or catching, of Pokemons inside campuses.
“Pokemon Go has already created havoc, even in just few weeks of its release, linking to incidents like robbery of gadgets, a man falling to an alley in an effort to capture the character, and a man was even shot and killed while playing the game in the US,” the resolution reads.
the provincial government of Cebu could not afford to sacrifice the welfare of students and the safety of the public with the game
In the resolution, Bercede stressed that the provincial government of Cebu could not afford to sacrifice the welfare of students and the safety of the public with the game.
“The province of Cebu could not afford to wait for incidents of similar nature to be happening to young children, hence there is an urgent need to ban the playing of Pokemon Go within school premises,” Bercede said.
The Department of Education in Central Visayas said it has not received a copy of the resolution yet.
The Mandaue City Council has also passed a resolution sternly warning motorists and pedestrians not to play Pokemon Go while driving or walking along the city’s busy streets.
The resolution, authored by Vice Mayor Carlo Fontico Fortuna, said Pokemon Go has drawn a large of number of enthusiasts in the Philippines but has raised safety concerns among players.
“It has been reported that multiple people suffered minor injuries from falling while playing the game due to being distracted,” the resolution reads.
Reports from other countries include accidents due to inattentive driving, trespassing, and being targeted by criminals due to being unaware of one’s surroundings, the resolution added.
“While enthusiasts should be allowed to enjoy the game, they should put their safety first as well as the safety of the people around them. They should value their life and the life of others,” the council resolution stated. – BusinessNewsAsia.com