The Department of Health (DOH) disagreed with the order issued by a local government unit (LGU) that said wearing face masks is voluntary in some areas.
DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire insisted that it is too early to throw away face masks or stop the mandatory implementation of wearing them.
This is Vergeire’s reaction to the executive order signed by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama that says wearing face masks in the city is voluntary, except in hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities.
According to Vergeire, the DOH was not consulted on the city’s removal of the mandatory wearing of face masks because it is impossible for a place to implement a policy that is contrary to other places in the country. He said the “one nation approach” is needed against the current pandemic.
“I always say a city within a country cannot act on its own… Hindi pwedeng ang isang lugar sa ating bansa ay nagpapatupad ng kanilang protocol, samantalang the rest of the country is implementing the other side of the protocol o magkaiba because we have porous borders,” Vergeire said in a press briefing.
(I always say a city within a country cannot act on its own… It is not possible that one area in our country is implementing its protocol, while the rest of the country is implementing the other side of the protocol differently because we have porous borders.)
DOH disagrees with Cebu City’s removal of mandatory face mask
According to her, using face masks reduces the risk of contracting COVID-19 by 70% to 80%.
“Ang pagsusuot ng mask ay kaunting sakripisyo lang para maproteksyunan natin ang sarili natin.
“Darating tayo sa punto na maaari nang tanggalin ang mask kapag nasigurado na ng gobyerno na protektado ang mamamayang Pilipino ng mga bakunang binibigay natin sa komunidad,” she added.
(Wearing a mask is just a small sacrifice to protect ourselves. We will reach the point where the mask can be removed when the government has ensured that the vaccines protect the Filipino people we provide to the community.)
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama’s signed this Wednesday of an executive order that removes the mandatory face mask policy in outdoor and open spaces.