CEBU CITY -- Long overdue.

This was how top officials of Cebu described the national government’s decision to make the wearing of face masks even in indoor settings optional.

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama thanked President Marcos Jr. for easing the policy on face masks, saying such set-up is actually what is already happening on the ground.

Garcia and Rama are among the first local government unit officials to ease the face mask policy by making the COVID-19 protocol non-mandatory in well-ventilated and open areas.

For Garcia, the President’s decision to ease the face mask policy is to show that the country is moving on from the pandemic.

"First of all, this is in keeping with other countries that have moved on. Because if we continue to be shackled by these fears and even RT-PCR tests every time we see each other and all of these face masks, which is just a continued business for some, we ask the question, what was the vaccination for?," Garcia told reporters.

Garcia said requiring the wearing of a face mask for the past two years is already enough.

The continued wearing of face masks may even pose danger to one’s health, the governor said.

“You continue to breathe in the fibers of these masks including whatever chemicals were used,” she said.

Garcia said the country may be left behind in terms of economic recovery should it refuse to move on from the pandemic.

Interviewed by reporters separately, Rama said it seemed that the people have become tired of ‘talking and hearing about the Covid-19 virus and the pandemic.’

"Our thrust now is economic recovery. We will open, open, open (everything)," stressed Rama.

Garcia and Rama both said they will no longer issue executive orders regarding the matter as they opt to wait for the national government to issue an official directive.