Año urges LGUs to pass ordinance making people wear face masks in public

April 6, 2020

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Monday urged local government units (LGUs) to pass an ordinance requiring their constituents to wear face masks in public as a precautionary measure to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Año said issuing an ordinance requiring residents to wear face masks in public can help in ensuring that people are not passing the virus around.

"We must be vigilant. This coronavirus is not a joke that’s why I’m encouraging LGUs to assure that the people will always wear face masks whenever they will go out by issuing ordinances. This is our small way of ensuring that the virus will not spread," he said.

Año explained the government will accept improvised or home-made face masks as long as people use it in public.

"If the LGUs can pass an ordinance on mandatory wearing of face masks, this could be an addition to the measures being taken by the government to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the community and right now, we cannot be limiting ourselves to minimal preventive measures," the secretary said.

"Despite the fact that people generally are staying at home, we cannot still prevent them from going out to buy their food and other essential...  that’s why it is important to wear face masks,” he added.

The Philippine National Police (PNP), which is under the DILG, and the Joint Task Force Corona Virus Shield also called for the passage of local ordinances mandating people to wear masks when they are outside their house or in public.

According to PNP, without an ordinance, they can only reprimand those who will not wear face masks in public.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States of America are mulling on changing their stand on using face masks.

WHO initially recommended that community level usage of face masks is not encouraged, noting that it should only be worn by people with COVID-19 symptoms and health care workers. Ella Dionisio/DMS