With some sectors insisting the requirement of wearing face shields as "anti-poor," Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año reiterated wearing face shields is not mandatory and are required only when riding public transport.
He pointed out the local government units (LGUs) may impose their own rules on the use of face shields in public places but this should be without penalties since it is not considered an absolute necessity.
Note some industries made it mandatory for their workers to use face shields together with face masks in workplaces.
With this, Año said people could opt for a “bond paper-size acetate’’as a do-it-yourself (DIY) substitute.
He made clear that the wearing of face masks, physical distancing and washing hands remain among minimum health standards in the midst of the pandemic.
Among those complaining of wearing a face shield is Tricycle driver Alvin Corpuz of Marilao, Bulacan.
He deems it an additional economic burden that is also dangerous for drivers like him especially when driving at night with other vehicles putting their headlights on bright mode.
Corpuz related how hard it is nowadays for people like him to earn a living.
"Ang kita ko ngayon sa walong oras P250 na lang dahil sa physical distancing na mahigpit na pinatutupad dahil sa COVID-19. Malayong malayo ito sa humigit kumulang na naiiuwi ko na P1,000 bago ang pandemic (My daily income for eight hours of work is only P250 with the strict physical distancing measures imposed amid COVID-19. This is much less than the P1,000 I was earning before the pandemic),’’ Corpuz said.