Marcos to consider the perspectives of everyone especially the DOH and DILG when it comes to easing of the face mask policy in the country.
President Marcos Jr. said he would defer to the views of several government agencies like the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on the face mask policy.
Press Secretary Rose Beatrix Cruz-Angeles, asked if Marcos will comment on the mandatory use of face masks before his visits to the Filipino community at the Fairmont Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia, said
"this is a matter for the DOH... to advise the President on health matters."
That said, we have to wait because even though the issue is raging, there is intervention by Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos and he has asked Cebu to kindly defer its plan, reported GMA News Online.
"I understand that there is response that they will not defer. So we will wait first for further action on the part of the DILG and so all of that will be taken into consideration by the President," she added.
She added that they will wait for a definitive statement as the President values the opinion of the DOH but will also listen to everybody as regards the face mask policy.
Related to the face mask policy, Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama signed an executive order on the optional use of facemask outdoors in Cebu’s capital.
In relaxing the face mask rule in Cebu City, Rama acknowledged that while the prevention of Covid-19 infection is everyone's responsibility, people should be allowed to choose whether or not to wear a face mask for self-preservation.
DOH on face mask policy
DOH said that before the national government can withdraw the mandatory face mask regulation, the number of COVID-19 cases in the country must first stabilize.
DOH OIC Maria Rosario Vergeire emphasized that the Covid-19 has not yet reached endemic status in the country.
"When we talk about endemic stage, ang ibig sabihin niyan ang mga kaso ay stable na at pangalawa mataas ang immunity ng population [that means first, cases are stable and second, the population has a high immunity level]," Vergeire said
Tags: #Covid-19, #FaceMask, #DOH, #DILG