Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said President Rodrigo Duterte agreed with the proposal of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) on the limited use of face shields.

“Sa pag-uusap namin ng Pangulo, aaprubahan na niya ang proposal ng IATF para limitado na lamang na paggamit ng mga face shields (Based on my discussion with the President, he will approve the IATF proposal for limited use of face shields),” Go said in a news release on Sunday.

Go earlier appealed to the IATF-EID to reevaluate the mandatory use of face shields, citing the decreasing number of cases in the country and the increasing number of individuals who have been vaccinated.

“Ang pangunahing proteksyon naman natin ay ang mask at ang bakuna. Dagdag na proteksyon ang face shield pero pwede nang hindi gawing mandatory ‘yan (Mask and vaccine are our main protections. Face shield is just additional protection but it would no longer be mandatory),” he said.

Under Resolution No. 148-D (s. 2021) dated Nov. 11, 2021, the IATF-EID proposed the mandatory use of face shields in community settings for areas under Alert Level 5, enhanced community quarantine, and granular lockdowns.

For areas under Alert Level 4, the local government units and private establishments are given discretion to mandate the use of face shields.

For areas under Alert Levels 3, 2 and 1, the use of face shields shall be voluntary.

The said protocols are unaffected by the continued mandatory usage of face shields in medical and quarantine facilities, as well as the requirement that healthcare professionals use them in healthcare settings.

Go earlier supported the proposal to make use of face shields non-mandatory but urged the public to wait for the advice of authorities and experts.

He also called on Filipinos to remain vigilant amid the ongoing threats of Covid-19 to not put to waste the efforts to overcome the pandemic.

“Ako naman po, personally, as Senate Committee on Health chairperson, ay kung maaari ano na lang, huwag nang gawing mandatory [sa mga low-risk] (Personally, as Senate committee on health chairperson, if necessary, it should not be mandatory in the lower risk areas),” Go said during the distribution of assistance to residents of Antipolo City in Rizal on Nov. 9.

Go also supported the gradual relaxation of physical and mobility restrictions, especially for fully vaccinated individuals, that will boost the recovery of the economy. (PNA)