Interior Sec. Benhur Abalos said local governments should wait for the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), which will deliberate on the issue.
“In the spirit of unity, I likewise appeal to all local chief executives to do the same until I bring this matter to the IATF,” he said in a statement.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 1) — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Thursday appealed to local executives to retain the mandate to wear face masks amid a national health emergency.
“I have already requested the IATF Secretariat to immediately convene in order to thoroughly discuss this measure,” Abalos added.
He said Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama has agreed to temporarily stop the implementation of his executive order issued on Wednesday making the use of face masks voluntary in most places, except in medical facilities.
When asked in a public briefing, Rama said the implementation of the executive order will push through, but emphasized it will be “self-regulation and non-obligatory.”
Rama confirmed that he spoke with Abalos, but did not give details
“In-emphasize ko sa kanya na mahal ko yung president [Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.]… mahal ko rin si Secretary Abalos. Kaya pinaka-importante ngayon, nire-review ko ngayon ‘yung executive order ko. Wala naman akong… sinasabing ‘wag na kayong mag-wear ng face mask. Ginagawa ko, non-obligatory lang,” Rama said.
[Translation: I emphasized to him that I love the president. I also love Secretary Abalos. What’s important now is that I am reviewing my executive order. I did not say don’t wear your face mask. What I did was make it non-obligatory.]
Rama said national authorities should also consider the varying situations in different local government units, and that local officials naturally know more about such matters.
Abalos said he wants Cebu City to be the pilot implementer of non-masking policies in the country.
“Let’s say mag-pilot ka ng ilang linggo, at di tumaas, edi yun na yon. It’s a good template for everyone, but what is important right now ay sundin natin itong tamang proseso… mahirap magkanya kanyang direksyon tayo dito,” he said during a budget hearing at the House of Representatives.
[Translation: Let’s say we do pilot implementation for a few weeks and if cases do not increase, then that’s it. It’s a good template for everyone, but what is important right now is we follow the right process. It’s difficult if we go in different directions.]
