September 15, 2022

After the President issued Executive Order 3 lifting the mandatory use of face masks in outdoor settings, I was deluged with calls and messages. It could be because I have been quite vocal about relaxing outdoor masking ever since it became clear that we are no longer seeing dramatic increases in infections similar to the ones we had in March and August 2021, and in January this year, when variants like Alpha, Beta and Delta were circulating, and when we still had to vaccinate and booster more people.

As expected, there was fear, especially among our doctors, that the lifting of the outdoor face mask mandate might lead to more infections and worse, deaths. I would expect nothing less from our health sector. They have been through so much in the past two years, and looking after our health is what they have sworn to do.

There was also some relief, especially from our tourism sector. Until EO 3 was signed last Sept. 12, the Philippines and Myanmar were the only two countries in the region that still require the use of face masks outdoors.

What was odd was the relative quiet in the population. I have seen more chatter over the price of sugar and onions than over the fact that Filipinos can now go outdoors without having to wear face masks. Even now, three days after the announcement, I still see people on the street wearing their face masks. In Cebu City, where the clamor was first made official, man-on-the-street interviews showed Cebuanos still prefer to tread on the side of caution and wear their face masks.

This might confirm the results of a survey conducted by our friends at OCTA Research back in April. It showed that 30 percent of respondents prefer to continue to wear face masks even six months after the pandemic is declared over, and that 28 and 16 percent will still wear masks even after one and two years, respectively. That’s a collective majority of the population who prefer to wear masks for at least half a year even if they are no longer required to do so.

I understand the position of our doctors; they have the best interests for our health. But I believe we need to move on and start treating COVID like the flu. In our discussions with the President, we are perfectly aligned in this thinking. I attribute the fears – especially within the health sector – that the lifting of the mandate might bring about a surge, to the confusion between mandating the use of face masks outdoors, to the removal of face masks altogether.

What was removed was the mandatory use of face masks in outdoor settings. We are one in encouraging the use of face masks outdoors, especially for those who are at high risk, like the elderly, the immunocompromised, and especially the unvaccinated. As for the use of masks indoors, there is still no question about that.

I believe that after more than two years of observing practices that health officials have recommended in order to prevent infections, Filipinos now know how to keep themselves and their loved ones safe; this includes getting vaccinated and boostered – a proven and effective way of protection from the virus. People are also aware of the risks, and I think we should give them some credit that they know the risk levels they can safely handle.

Then there is the issue of timing. When the announcement for the lifting of the outdoor mask mandate was made, it was with the statement that the country is only six percent away from the wall of immunity, using perhaps the DOH tally for number of the target population that have been vaccinated. It has been pointed out, however, that this does not take into account that eligibility has been expanded to younger age groups. This may seem like splitting hairs, but it is a fair point. We have been assured, however, that the lifting of the outdoor mask mandate is only for low-risk individuals in low-risk settings, thus the caveat that masking is still encouraged for those who are likely to suffer severe illness from infection.

I am glad that there remain voices that constantly remind us that we might be standing on a slippery slope. I know that many feel this is not the right time, but when will be the right time? There could be a worse variant, so let us prepare, but let’s not overcompensate with restrictions that may no longer be practical. What we can do is stock up on antivirals like Paxlovid, and continue to support our healthcare system by paying our nurses better and building our health infrastructure, especially in the less urbanized areas.

What I do take exception to are those who would make light of this EO’s benefits to the economy. I believe our energy and resources should be focused on making sure we have something to stay healthy for.

The EO sends a message that we are on our way to a semblance of normalcy. Am I being too optimistic? I think we have to be optimistic. We have bigger problems like rising prices and rising interest rates, and being the sad boy in the room does not help anybody at this point.

We need to build up confidence, especially for our tourism sector. How can you inspire confidence when, if you go to a beach, you see everybody still wearing a mask? How can it be more fun in the Philippines when you can’t even see anybody’s smile or when you come home with a ridiculous sunburn the shape of a face mask? How do you think foreign tourists will decide if they are made to choose between a destination that requires outdoor masking and one that does not?

Tourism is one of our biggest advantages. Our warmth and our smiling people are our assets. We should not lose this advantage. We have so many MSMEs, especially in the provinces, who rely on tourism. Let us not forget them.