Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Tuesday, October 25 renewed his call for Filipinos to remain vigilant and compliant with existing COVID-19 health protocols even if the Marcos government is soon to issue an executive order making the wearing of face masks indoors voluntary.

“I welcome measures that are geared towards renormalizing our life amid the pandemic, such as the announcement on voluntary wearing of masks indoors provided that clear and specific guidelines are set to still ensure the safety of every Filipino,” Go said in a statement.

But as the public awaits the specific orders and guidelines to be released by the President and the Department of Health (DOH), Go said Filipinos should remain vigilant and compliant with existing health protocols.

“More than anything else, our discipline and cooperation are key to our return to normalcy,” the Senate Committee on Health and Demography chairman said.

“Hangad nating lahat na bumalik sa normal ang ating buhay. Pero kahit gagawing boluntaryo na ang pagsusuot ng face masks, huwag pa rin tayong magkumpiyansa. (We all want our lives to return to normal. But even if the wearing of face masks is made voluntary, let's still not be confident,” Go said.

“Tulad ng aking apela noon sa ating mga kababayan, kung hindi naman mahirap o sagabal para sa inyo na mag-mask, mag-mask pa rin po tayo dahil dagdag proteksyon ito sa atin laban sa sakit (Like my appeal before to our compatriots, if it is not difficult or a hindrance for you to wear a mask, let's wear a mask anyway because it gives us extra protection against disease),” he reiterated.

In addition to personal precautions, Go also said the public should make sure to protect companions who have weak immunity, those who are ill, those who have not been vaccinated, those who have immunocompromised housemates, and the elderly who are more vulnerable to contracting the disease.

“We do not know who can infect or be infected in our community or when we return to our own houses,” he said.

“As chair of the Senate Committee on Health, the safety of our people remains my primary concern. Katulad ng sinasabi ko noon, ang buhay ng tao, hindi katulad ng isang pelikula, wala itong part 2 (Like I said before, human life, unlike a movie, it doesn't have a part 2). A life lost is a life lost forever,” the senator stressed.

“Hence, I reiterate my appeal to the Executive to strengthen further our vaccination efforts, particularly our booster rate which remains as one of the lowest in Southeast Asia. Given the continuing threats of fast evolving variants of the virus, the vaccine remains our only tool to fully overcome this pandemic,” the lawmaker appealed.