BY GLENDA TAYONA
ILOILO City – Mayor Jerry P. Treñas expressed support to the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) making the wearing of facemasks outdoor optional.
“Immunocompromised persons may opt to continue wearing masks outdoors while others may decide not to. I am supportive of this recommendation,” the city mayor said.
But unlike Iloilo governor Arthur Defensor Jr. who has already issued an executive order on the optional wearing of facemask outdoors in the province effective immediately, Treñas said he will wait for the approval of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
“But we will now go easy on outdoors,” Treñas said.
Iloilo City is currently under COVID-19 Alert Level 1. Cases are also going down from three digits to two digits daily.
Department of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire earlier said the optional wearing of facemask is only for low-risk individuals and in low-risk settings.
“Ni-liberalize natin ‘yung paggamit ng masks sa outdoors pero doon sa low-risk individuals and in low-risks settings, meaning hindi sila matanda, hindi sila immunocompromised. And low-risk setting, ibig sabihin doon sa mga areas na hindi matao at saka maayos po ang daloy ng hangin,” she said.
The recommendation also includes the pilot study on the wearing of facemasks indoors in selected areas.
The taskforce also recommended that this proposed policy be implemented in phases to ensure the population’s protection against the coronavirus.
“Tayo po ngayon ay kumakalap na ng ebidensiya, gumagawa na rin po tayo ng concept paper kung saan ‘yung study, kung saan paano natin gagawin ‘yung study ng pagpa-pilot,” Vergeire said.
She then clarified that the optional wearing of facemask outdoors is not yet a policy and the DOH, as the chair of the IATF, is just “initially informing the public about the recommendation”.
“Because there was this verbal approval from the President when they talked with Secretary Benhur [Abalos Jr.] from DILG [Department of the Interior and Local Government], but it stated in IATF Resolution No. 1 Series of 2022, that the IATF has resolved to recommend to the President and that there should be, or the President will issue an executive order regarding this policy,” Vergeire said. (With a report from the Philippine News Agency)/PN
