Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. Luis “LRay” Villafuerte is in favor of the move to make the wearing of face masks indoors voluntary as well as the further loosening of Covid-19 travel restrictions.

This, after Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Frasco bared that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. would issue an executive order (EO) declaring the use of face masks indoors as voluntary. International travelers may also opt to no longer undergo reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing before entering the country.

READ: https://mb.com.ph/2022/10/25/marcos-agrees-to-make-indoor-face-mask-use-voluntary/

Villafuerte, president of the National Unity Party (NUP), thinks that the move will result in a tourism boom, which in turn would boost the country’s economic recovery.

“The relaxation of the mandatory mask policy even in indoor settings and the lifting of the anti-Covid vaccination and RT-PCR testing protocols for inbound international travelers would best underscore President Marcos’ message to the world that we are back after going through the pandemic’s wringer, that we have started to normalize the coronavirus situation, and that it’s time for us to put the economy back on its high growth path before the pandemic hit us almost three years ago," he said.

“The President’s issuance soon of an executive order on the removal of the strict Covid-related requirements on masking and inbound travel—as announced by Frasco in Tuesday’s Palace briefing—would attract more tourists and boost Philippine tourism, which is integral to the country’s quick and robust recovery from the global economic and health crises wrought by the once-in-a-century pandemic,” he added.

“I agree with Secretary Tina that we cannot remain in pandemic perspective mode, as we have to give our country and our people to recovery fully from the pandemic by striking a happy compromise between maintaining basic health protocols and preserving jobs and livelihoods by rejuvenating the tourism sector and the rest of our economy,” the Bicolano further said.

Frasco clarified that the primary objective of the EO would be to convey to the world the country’s readiness to re-open to tourists in order to “reinvigorate” the tourism industry.

Villafuerte isn’t the first solon to back the voluntary masking initiative, as several of his colleagues have expressed their support for the move.

READ: https://mb.com.ph/2022/10/25/solons-welcome-voluntary-face-mask-use-indoors/