“Gusto man gud nako nga katong mga probinsya, munisipyo, ubang siyudad na dili na mag face mask, gusto nako tanawon unsay mahitabo ato nila. Og makita nato nga okay sila, diha pa ta musunod pero dili nako gusto na mag una-una ta (I want to see first how other provinces, municipalities, and cities would handle it. If it turns out well, we can follow suit but I don’t want us to be the first ones to implement it),” Duterte said during a radio interview on September 9, 2022.
The recommendation was made by City Health Office (CHO) head Dr. Ashley Lopez following the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to make face masks optional in open spaces nationwide.
Lopez said on Thursday, September 8 that this is because there is still an ongoing community transmission of Covid-19 in Davao City.
Duterte added that it would be best to observe first and wait for the data coming from other local government units that would implement non-mandatory face masks before making a decision.
Davao City Covid-19 Task Force spokesperson Dr. Michelle Schlosser expressed concern about the health security problems that the mandate could pose, especially for immunocompromised and individuals who have not yet had their booster shots or vaccination.
“It’s very hard to see a lot of sick people, basig muabot ta sa point na mapuno na sad atong hospitals (we might reach a point again where our hospitals are full). There are worries like that given na dili ingana kataas atoang (that we do not have a high) output for booster doses. Significant pud ang number of individuals na mamatay tungod Covid-19 (There are also a significant number of people dying from Covid-19),” Schlosser said on Friday.
Press Secretary Trixi Cruz-Angeles said during a joint press conference on September 7 that the IATF made the recommendation for “open, non-crowded and well-ventilated areas” but it is still not a national policy.