The Department of Health (DOH) is unaware of Cebu City's new Executive Order (EO) placing on a "trial period" the optional face mask use, the agency said on Monday, Sept. 5.
DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said during a media briefing that the matter will be taken up with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
There, Vergeire said they will come up with a recommendation for President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
"Remember, IATF is recommendatory to the Office of the President so we will be discussing all of these issues later on and we will be informing the public once the Office of the President has decided already," she added.
She explained that the protocol is that the Office of the President is the only one who can announce the recommendations and decisions of the IATF regarding the matter. Vergeire advised the public to wait for the formal announcement of the press secretary.
Cebu City released on Monday, EO No. 6 declaring the "non-obligatory" use of face masks but rather as a measure of "individual self-preservation and protection" from Sept. 1 to December 31, 2022.
The EO also stated that in case of a surge in the number of Covid-19 cases, the said measure will then be automatically lifted.
Meanwhile, Vergeire said that she does not want to preempt whatever their recommendation will be but mentioned that based on science, face masks provide 70 to 80 percent protection against Covid-19.
She added that there are conditions that need to be met before some restrictions can be eased.
"We will position for the science. Pero kung mararating naman natin yung mga kondisyon, katulad nung ating coverage for bakuna (But if we can reach the conditions like the vaccine coverage)...We'll do this in a based approach hindi natin mamadaliin makikipag-usap tayo para may compromise po ang national government agencies (we will not rush it, we will discuss this so there can be compromise with the national government agencies) and we can balance the economy," she added.