By Alec Go
The Department of Tourism (DOT) has welcomed the national government’s decision to make the wearing of face masks optional outdoors, saying that it will further open doors for the country’s tourism industry recovery.
DOT Secretary Christina Frasco commended in a statement President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s decision to approve the proposed liberalization of the mask mandate in low-risk settings through Executive Order (EO) No. 3.
“The President’s Executive Order is a welcome development especially as empirical data shows that in other economies in Asia, Europe, and North America where stringent health protocols were lifted, this resulted in more favorable economic conditions, increase in tourist arrivals, and a faster recovery of their respective tourism portfolios,” Frasco said.
The official also expressed optimism that the eased policy “will allow the Philippines to gradually catch up in the race to recovery of tourism” in the Southeast Asian region.
This is through improving travel confidence, boosting economic activity, and enhancing people-to-people connectivity.
“With the President’s EO and hopefully, the eventual recalibration of all remaining restrictions, the country will be able to strike the necessary balance between protecting lives and promoting livelihood,” Frasco said.
“Our prospects for recovery are much brighter with the Philippines’ signal to the world that we are open, we are ready, and we are moving forward,” she added.
The President on Monday, Sept. 12, approved the voluntary wearing of face masks in open spaces and non-crowded areas.
Face mask use remains mandatory in indoor settings and public transportation, while senior citizens and immunocompromised individuals are still encouraged to wear face masks.
