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Wearing of face masks in open spaces and non-crowded outdoor areas with good ventilation will now be voluntary
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The new policy under Executive Order No. 03 signed by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on September 12 has “a goal of further boosting the economy”
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Individuals not fully vaccinated, senior citizens, and immunocompromised individuals are, however, still encouraged to wear face masks and observe physical distancing at all times
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Face masks should still be continuously worn in indoor private or public establishments, including in public transportation by land, air, or sea, and in outdoor settings where physical distancing can’t be maintained
The use of face mask outdoors will now be voluntary, according to Malacañang.
The new policy is contained in Executive Order No. 03 signed by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on September 12, aimed at “further boosting the economy”, Malacañang said in a statement, noting that neighboring countries in Southeast Asia and other nations across the world have already liberalized mask mandates without a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.
Individuals not fully-vaccinated, senior citizens, and immunocompromised individuals are, however, still encouraged to wear face masks and observe physical distancing at all times, according to EO 03.
Moreover, face masks should still be continuously worn in indoor private or public establishments, including in public transportation by land, air, or sea, and in outdoor settings where physical distancing can’t be maintained.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) earlier issued a resolution recommending the liberalization of the government’s mask mandate, making mask wearing optional in open spaces or non-crowded, ventilated areas.
With the issuance of EO 03, the Department of Health (DOH) was directed to update the minimum public health standards (MPHS) guidelines.
The DOH and IATF may submit recommendations for further adjustments in the MPHS, including the liberalization of indoor mask requirements, should the indicators for monitoring the status of COVID-19 such as vaccination rates and improvement in COVID-19 booster coverage are warranted.
All departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the government, including state universities and colleges (SUCs), government-owned and controlled corporations, government financial institutions, and local government units, are ordered to assist the IATF in the implementation of the order.
As of September 6, 2022, there were 72 million individuals, or 93% of the target population in the Philippines, who are fully vaccinated, while 18 million individuals, or 23% of the target population, have received COVID-19 booster doses.
The government also reported that 88 of the country’s 121 provinces, highly urbanized cities, and independent cities, and 696 of the country’s component cities and municipalities are under Alert Level 1, the least restrictive community quarantine classification.
