Manila, Oct. 1 -- The Archdiocese of Cebu has prevented the use of churches in areas affected by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that shook Cebu Tuesday night.

In an advisory, the Cebu archdiocese asked priests to refrain from going inside churches in quake-hit areas.

"To the parishes in the North that have been gravely affected, you are asked to refrain from using your churches for the celebration of the Holy Mass," it said.

At the same time, the archdiocese has ordered the structural assessment of churches in Cebu.

"Cebu Archbishop Alberto Uy has directed that a structural assessment be conducted on all our churches and rectories," it said.

"Refrain from using your churches until the proper experts have carried out the assessment and ...