As the public expressed mixed reactions following the lifting of the mandatory mask mandate in indoor settings, Go Negoso founder Joey Concepcion believes that the timing was just right to ease restrictions, including guidelines about physical distancing.

Concepcion said this after the government announced that the wearing of face masks indoors will now be voluntary, a move that earned mixed reactions from different sectors.

In a statement, Concepcion said several factors support lifting the said restrictions, especially since he thought the biggest challenge now is reviving the economy.

"There are several factors that are making the case for the lifting of the protocols, and I believe that the timing is just right," he said.

"I think our problem now is not so much Covid but ensuring the survival of the economy," he added.

Concepcion explained that the country's tourism sector must be competitive with its neighbors in Asia who are vying to attract tourist dollars.

"The strong dollar is attracting visitors who stand to get more for their dollar. The other countries know this, and they are aware of how important it is to show visitors that they have already moved on from Covid," he said.

"Consumption is very important at this point, and with our own kababayans struggling with high prices, we have to bring in the consumer spending from outside, which is the tourists," he added.

Physical distancing

According to Concepcion, the distancing mandate that prompted establishments to enforce capacity limitations hinders attempts for businesses to earn, especially during the upcoming holiday season when economic activity is expected to peak.

"It doesn't make sense at this point," he said of the physical distancing rules.

"The numbers from the large corporations in terms of profitability are going down, so you can just imagine what the MSMEs are going through right now," he added.

Concepcion, however, made an exception for public transportation.

"The way it is right now, it's impossible to maintain distancing there, and you have too many people coming from different places packed closely together," he said.

Not mandatory

While people expressed concern about the move to lift restrictions amid the rising number of Covid-19 cases due to new variants, Concepcion said no one was forcing anybody to remove their masks.

"The key word to remember here is 'mandatory.' People can still choose to wear their face masks and keep a safe distance from others," he said.

"If they are not confident about their protection, they can continue to observe the protocols. No one is forcing them," he said.

According to Concepcion, the population may have acquired natural immunity from the previous waves of infection.

"The infection waves go up, and then they go down. This must mean that we have some natural immunity already as we are seeing fewer severe cases," he said.

"People know now what to do if they get infected, and that is to get tested and to isolate," he added.

Private sector support

Concepcion said the private sector is aligned with the Department of Health (DOH) and supports the government's decisions on lifting protocols.

"I think the President is right in that we really have to move on," he said.

"We've written to OIC Vergeire on our suggestions, and she agrees with our recommendations moving forward," he added.

Among the recommendations of the private sector was limiting the bivalent vaccine brands that the government will have in its portfolio and the private sector supplying a list of employees willing to take the vaccines.