In looking at the government’s plan to make indoor face mask use voluntary, lawmakers on Tuesday, Oct. 25, gave their two cents
on easing the face mask rule in the country.
Quezon City 2nd District Rep. Ralph Tulfo said he is looking forward to the executive order (EO) to be issued by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. that will lift the mandatory mask-wearing in indoor spaces.
“We await the issuance of the executive order from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on where specifically indoor voluntary wearing of face masks will be allowed,” he said shortly after Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco made the announcement on the matter.
At a Palace press briefing, Frasco said the EO will make the indoor wearing of face masks voluntary “all over the Philippines with a few exceptions,” noting that masks will still be required in public transportation, medical transportation, and medical facilities.
This latest development, according to Tulfo, was a cause of concern because of the presence of malls, supermarkets, and movie theaters in his district and other areas.
“Konti na lang dapat ang (There should be less) exceptions sa (in) voluntary mask wearing,” the lawmaker stressed.
For Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua, he considers the transition to voluntary mask-wearing “crucial to living in a new normal.”
READ: Marcos agrees to make indoor face mask use voluntary — DOT Sec. Frasco
“Health authorities seem to be unnecessarily overly cautious and have needlessly delayed further relaxing of Alert Level One public health safety protocols,” he said.
Chua believes the “impracticality and inconvenience” of mask-wearing is “quite acute” especially when tourists, students, and teachers already have had their primary Covid-19 doses and boosters.
“They should instead make more of the bivalent booster vaccines available and readily accessible now and more so in the coming weeks. The boosters are the better alternative to mask-wearing,” he stated.
But having said this, Chua still viewed with caution the government’s plan to make face masks optional since the threat of the virus remains.
“Mask mandates should remain in all hospitals. What should also remain permanent protocols are those on frequent handwashing and much better ventilation inside buildings and workplaces,” he said.
“For tourism sites and campuses there really must be consistency in the safety protocols. Voluntary masking and bivalent boosters would be the right steps,” Chua added.
READ: Easing of travel, face mask restrictions ‘good for tourism’
Deputy Minority Leader and Bagong Henerasyon (BH) Party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera suggested that the government must keep the list of exceptions short on voluntary mask-wearing while indoors.
“We can readily see from the DOH (Department of Health) Covid bulletins that resilience against Covid is quite strong and high now, more than ever before alongside the reopening of the economy, face-to-face classes in schools, and resurgence of tourism,” she said.
Herrera and Tulfo shared the same observation that the Philippines is lagging behind other countries in easing Covid-19 safety protocols.
“Mas malakas na ang panlaban ng mga Pilipino at mga bisitang turista kontra Covid. Nagiging impraktikal na sa maraming lugar ang pagsusuot ng face masks (Filipinos and visiting tourists now have stronger defense against Covid. Wearing of face masks is becoming impractical in many areas),” Herrera said.
“Napag-iiwanan na ang Pilipinas kung saan napatunayan nang malakas ang depensa sa Covid ngayong halos (The Philippines is being left behind when it has been proven that the defense against Covid is strong when almost) 80 million na ang nakatanggap ng (have received their) primary doses at dumarami pa ang nagpapa-booster (while many are getting their booster) shots,” Tulfo said.