First District Cong. Edgar Chatto expressed his support to the move of President
Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to modify the face mask mandate in the country.
The congressman released a statement on Sept. 15, 2022, supporting Executive Order (EO) No. 3 of President Marcos, allowing the voluntary wearing of face masks
in outdoor settings.
“We support the directive for voluntary wearing of masks in open, well-ventilated areas,”
the solon said in his statement.
He added: “We, however, suggest continued compliance to mask-wearing by vulnerable
sectors especially in identified risk areas where social distancing is difficult to be observed. We also highly encourage eligible sectors to get vaccinated and get their booster doses.”
The new EO makes it optional for people to wear face masks outdoors. The wearing of face
masks remains to be compulsory when a person is indoors, riding public transport or in areas where physical distancing is difficult to comply with.