Mask wearing at workplaces in the Philippines optional
- Charles Chau
This was announced by the Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE) and Labour Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, who said employers and their workers may require the wearing of face masks taking into account hazards and risks, industry requirements and incidence of other infectious diseases.
The DOLE also said that employers and their workers “have a shared responsibility to ensure safe and healthful working conditions” in accordance with the Labour Code and minimum public health standards.
Prior to this labour advisory, the DOLE and the Department of Trade and Industry required the wearing of face masks at workplaces at all times, except when eating and drinking.
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President Marcos made masking optional in both indoor and outdoor settings in an effort to boost tourism in the country as officials pointed out that the Philippines still had stringent mask rules compared to its South-East Asian neighbours.
This is despite the continued warnings of the Department of Health, which chairs the pandemic task force, that lifting the mask mandate may result in more COVID-19 infections, reported Philstar Global.
