Some senators on Monday, Nov. 8 welcomed the decision of some Metro Manila mayors to drop the mandatory face shield policy saying it is something that should have been done long ago.
“Matagal na nating kinikwestyon yung practicality ng (We have long questioned the practicality of using) faceshields as a government policy at paulit-ulit na nating sinasabi na (and we’ve repeatedly said) 'there's no scientific basis' for making it mandatory,” Sen. Nancy Binay said in a statement.
“Dapat matagal na nilang binawi yang order. Kaya maraming nagtataka kung bakit ba natatagalan ang IATF sa pag-lift ng directive (They should have recalled that order long ago. That’s why many are asking why it is taking the Inter-Agency Task Force time to lift the directive),” Binay pointed out.
The senator said the mandatory use of faceshields is only applicable in critical areas only, like hospitals.
“Pero huwag na nating gawing kumplikado. At sana, kasabay din ng pagli-lift ng mandatory use ay ang pag-amyenda ng mga ordinansa (Let’s not make it complicated. And I hope with the lifting of the mandatory use of face shields will lead to the amendment of ordinances) which prescribe penalties for non-compliance),” Binay said.
Sen. Manny Pacquiao, who is running for president in the upcoming May 2022 elections, also welcomed this development, saying the government should instead focus on vaccination and effective contact tracing.
“Matagal na talaga dapat na wala yang face shield. Sa totoo wala naman talagang basehan yan . Sa buong mundo tayo lang ang may face shield (We should have ditched the use of face shields. There is really no basis for it. We are the only country using face shields),” Pacquiao said.
“We should only use these face shields inside hospitals and quarantine facilities kaya tama itong desisyon ng MMDA,” Pacquiao stressed.
Apart from the lack of scientific basis, Pacquiao also said the face shields have become a symbol of corruption in government citing the ongoing Senate Blue Ribbon Committee probe on the anomalous purchase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp.
Nevertheless, he said the public should be aware that the threat of COVID-19 is still present and the threat of a new surge is still very serious, despite the government’s easing of quarantine requirements in many parts of the country.
“Kelangan natin talagang mag-ingat pa rin (We still need to be careful). We should wear our mask and observe strict hygiene pag lumalabas tayo (when we go out),” he said.
“Lagi tayong maghugas at gumamit ng alcohol. Kailangang palakasin din natin ang ating (We should always wash our hands and use alcohol. We also need to strengthen our) immune system. Kumain tayo ng tama at huwag din natin kalimutan na uminom ng ating vitamins at mag- exercise (Let’s eat healthily and not forget to take vitamins and to exercise),” Pacquaio said.