Some devotees opt for nearby churches for Visita Iglesia as fuel prices soar

 MANILA — As fuel prices continue to surge, some Catholic devotees in Quezon City are choosing to visit churches closer to home as they observe Visita Iglesia on Maundy Thursday, opting for a more practical way of reflecting during Holy Week.

Sol Marticio, a resident of Project 4, said they chose to visit nearby churches such as the Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Cubao to save on rising fuel costs.

“Mas gusto namin na malalapit lang 'yung distance ng churches kasi unang-una, ang tataas ng gasolina. 'Yung aircon nga namin, instead of two o three, one na lang muna para makatipid,” Marticio said.

Meanwhile, Francis Ligutan said that while they used to travel as far as Tagaytay for Visita Iglesia, they are now limiting their visits within Quezon City, near the Welcome Rotonda.

“Factor po talaga 'yung pagtaas ng gasolina. From P50 almost naging double na po P90 per liter po ngayon nagtitipid kami sa gasoline kaya sa malapit na lang," Ligutan said.

For Gladys Orale, who traveled from Caloocan, the rising cost of fuel also meant adjusting how they made the trip.

Instead of bringing their car and children, they chose to ride a motorcycle to save on expenses.

“Ngayon nag-motor para makatipid sa gasoline. Usually mga P500 to P600 lang ito; hindi po kaya kasi P500 parang one way lang po,” she said.

Neil Macalino, a resident of Fairview, said they now limit their Visita Iglesia within Quezon City and no longer go out after visiting churches.

"Before po talaga nagbi-Visita Iglesia kami, Bulacan eh mga cathedral. Gasolina namin P3,000, balikan na yun; so right now P6,000 kung balikan ang bigat sa bulsa," Macalino said.

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