President Bongbong Marcos is set to issue an executive order allowing the mask mandate policy voluntary even in indoor settings.
“We have just concluded a cabinet meeting with pres Ferdinand Bongbong MArcos Jr together with fellow cabinet secretaries. At this meeting, the matter of the mask mandate policy of the PH was discussed. As you are aware the President has already issued an executive order to make outdoor mask-wearing voluntary all over the PH with certain exceptions,” Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said in a statement.
“As a result of the cabinet meeting this morning it was agreed that the President would be issuing an executive order for the IATF recommendation to make indoor mask wearing also voluntary all over the Philippines with a few exceptions namely that mas wearing would still be required in public transportation as well as medical transportation and in medical facilities,” Frasco said.
The tourism chief said mask-wearing would still be encouraged for unvaccinated individuals, persons with comorbidities as well as senior citizens.
“But generally the direction of the Marcos administration is to lift the remainder of travel restrictions into the Philippines and that includes easing of our mask mandates to allow our country to be at par with our ASEAN neighbors who have long liberalized their mask mandates,” Frasco said.
“The requirement of pre-departure testing into the Philippines in the form of RT-PCR would also be removed,” Frasco added.
“In addition to this as far as unvaccinated foreigners are concerned they would henceforth be allowed entry into the Philippines with only the requirement of presenting an antigen test 24 hours taken before the departure or an option of taking an antigen test upon arrival into the Philippines,” the tourism chief added.
The tourism secretary also said that One Health pass would be removed as already publicly announced and replaced with E-Arrival platform.
