DILG urges LGUs to pass an ordinance on mandatory wearing of face mask in public
DILG urges LGUs to pass an ordinance on mandatory wearing of face mask in public
The
Department of Interior Local Government (DILG) has issued a memorandum on April
9, 2020 (Thursday) urges the local government units (LGUs) to pass an ordinance,
executive order or public advisory requiring their constituents to wear face
masks in public as a precautionary measures to combat the spread of corona
virus (COVID-19).
This
is in line with the President Duterte’s proclamation declaring the country
under State of Calamity pursuant to Proclamation. 929 dated March 16, 2020.
Consequently, a Memorandum from Executive Secretary dated March 16, 2020 was issued
placing the entire Luzon, including the National Capital Region (NCR), under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ)
while a number of local government units (LGUs) have simultaneously implemented
Community Quarantine in their respective jurisdictions.
DILG
Secretary Eduardo M. Año said that as the number of COVID-19 cases in the
Philippines surges, LGUs must adapt and respond to the challenges posed by the
pandemic and drafting such ordinance that requires citizens to wear face masks
outside their home is doing just that.
He further explained that “the government will accept improvised or
home-made face masks so long as people use it in public. He says that coupled
with the other mechanisms currently existing in line with the enhanced
community quarantine (ECQ) such as physical distancing, usage of quarantine
passes, and encouraging people to stay at home, among others, mandatory wearing
of face masks whenever people are outside is an additional measure that can be
practiced within the community.”
It
has been observed in past few weeks that some of our fellow Filipinos have violated
the quarantine protocols. Even our statesman by no less than Senator Aquilino “Koko”
Pimentel blatantly violated the laws when he accompanied his wife in the
hospital despite showing symptoms of COVID-19 and later on tested positive.
“We must be vigilant. Hindi biro ang coronavirus na
ito kaya hinihikayat ko ang mga LGU na tiyakin na ang kanilang mga kababayan ay
laging nakasuot ng face mask kapag sila ay lalabas sa pamamagitan ng
pagsasabatas ng ordinansa ukol dito. This is our small way of ensuring that the
virus will not spread,” says DILG Sec. Año
who was also recently tested positive for COVID-19 and is now on
self-quarantine.
Please
do help our frontliners by observing the community based measures to mitigate
the spread of COVID-19 i.e wear face mask, social distancing, self-isolation/quarantine
etc.