Biz groups back optional use of face masks outdoors

Several business groups said they were supporting the proposal to make wearing of masks outdoors voluntary,  saying this major policy shift would have positive effects on workers and would mean cost-savings for both the employers and the employees.

These groups are the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Foreign Buyers Association of the Philippines (FOBAP) and Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP).

“If somebody is exerting a lot of physical effort outdoors, (wearing) a mask can be quite hard. I think this would give workers more flexibility,” PCCI president George Barcelon said in mixed English and Pilipino during a phone interview.

Barcelon also said that dropping this requirement for uncrowded outdoor areas seemed like a good idea, as other countries such as Thailand and Singapore have already done it recently.

The PCCI official said it would also mean reduced spending for everyone, especially since facemasks have become a part of everyone’s budget since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

Businesses, he said, also provide facemask “allocations” for employees.

Likewise, FOBAP president Robert Young, whose trade group are buyers and exporters of garments and hard goods, told the Inquirer they also favored the measure but added that the government must provide clarity in its implementation.

“Yes, we are in favor of it, however, again, the government must be precise and clear-cut in this policy direction so as to avoid the always repeated confusion,” Young said in a message sent to the Inquirer.

“Scientifically, we think it is now safe to confirm this policy. Hopefully, this will be elevated soon to non-face mask (policy indoors too, as we need a lot of catching up in our daily livelihood engagements,” Young said further.

Segio Ortiz-Luis Jr., president of the Employer’s Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) told the Inquirer they were supportive of the measure, but expressed similar caution that the government needed to be clear on communicating this policy.

“Our implementation and communication in the past were not so good,” Ortiz-Luis said in a phone interview, recounting the confusion in the past about the mandatory use of facemask and face shields.

Ortiz-Luis Jr. said further that many implementing agencies, like the police and other deputized authorities, have also been subjective in the implementation of the mandatory use of face masks.

On the bright side, the ECOP official said the measure would mean  “minimal” savings to the public now that rules requiring it have been eased.