'TOL Views
Senator Francis N. Tolentino
Last Oct. 28, more than two years after the first lockdown, Executive Order (E.O.) No. 7 was signed, making the wearing of face masks indoors and outdoors voluntary, with the exception of those in healthcare facilities, medical transport vehicles, and all types of public transport. This order was signed in time of the expected celebration of undas, wherein large gatherings commence by tradition following the easing of restrictions.
According to Malacañang, other countries – emphasis on member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – have liberalized protocols on wearing face masks “with no significant increase in the number of Covid-19 cases recorded.” Because of continued immunization efforts, it was reported that other countries have opened their borders, thus, welcoming an influx of tourists to help jumpstart their respective economies. Notably, the Philippines and Myanmar were the last two countries in Southeast Asia that still required compulsory wearing of masks outdoors.
Just recently, I had the honor and privilege of representing our country as one of its delegates for the 30th annual meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) held in Bangkok, Thailand. Since October 2022, Thailand had fully reopened its borders to tourists, dispensing with all previous Covid-19 entry requirements.
Aside from hosting the APPF, this fellow ASEAN country is also the host for the 2022 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Thailand had also imposed a similar voluntary mask policy. With their easing restrictions and formal recognition of Covid-19 as an endemic virus, Thailand recorded a recovered number of international arrivals from just over 380,000 people in 2021 to 4.4 million at the end of August 2022. This trend is said to have an important contribution to the Thai gross domestic product (GDP) growth and foreign-exchange revenue.
In unison with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., it is my view that the voluntary wearing of face masks, subject to exceptions, is a crucial step toward the Philippines’ successful transition to the new normal. According to E.O. No. 7, “A policy of voluntary wearing of face masks in both indoor and outdoor settings is a positive step toward normalization, and a welcome development that would encourage activities and boost efforts toward the full reopening of the economy.” It would appear that this step was earlier taken by the Thais to revive its tourism sector and inspire confidence in foreigners to visit their country.
It is with fervent hope that the transition to voluntary wearing of face masks would bring the same economic benefits to the Philippines to aid the recovery of our economy. In the same vein, we should heed Malacañang’s plea under E.O. 7 to exercise diligence in carrying out the minimum public health standards, such as the practice of good hygiene, frequent hand-washing, observance of physical distancing, and maintenance of good ventilation especially in indoor settings, as well as the continued active campaign for the public’s vaccination and booster shots.
As with any other recovery phase in the aftermath of any crisis, the restoration of normalcy in the life of the people in the community will require re-assessment and re-designing of policies, plans, and programs in order to speed up rehabilitation.