Capitol to give face masks to public
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia on Monday, April 19, 2021, defended her plans to do away with penalties for individuals caught not wearing face masks.
With this, Garcia announced that the Capitol will be providing free face masks to those who fail to wear one in public places.
“I will be instructing the Provincial Health Office to give police stations in all 44 towns and the six component cities our existing stocks of face masks. The police will give these face masks to anyone seen not wearing one on the streets, or in public areas,” Garcia said in a mix of English and Cebuano.
Among the face masks the Capitol will be distributing to all police stations in the province are the over 3 million pieces the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD-7) will donate to the province.
The governor also said she will be issuing a memorandum soon, urging mayors all over Cebu to repeal policies seeking to penalize people not wearing face masks.
“Wa ko miingon nga ayaw pag mask. Dili nato iimpose kanang fine sa wala manul-ob ug face mask. Ngano man? That is anti-poor,” added Garcia.
(I did not say you will no longer wear masks. We just do not want to impose fines on those who are not wearing face masks. Why? That is anti-poor.)
Last week, the governor announced that she was planning to remove penalties for individuals apprehended for not wearing face masks in public.
Read: Garcia mulls removing monetary penalty for mask violators in Cebu
According to Garcia, the monetary penalty for violating the wearing of mask protocol only burdens the working public more during an economically devastating pandemic.
The nature of penalties of violating health protocols in Cebu province vary among localities, which range from community service to fees of up to P500.
The governor has been a strong advocate for economic revival and reopened the tourism industry in Cebu in order to alleviate the economic conditions of towns and cities.
The cities of Cebu and Mandaue, though, said that penalizing health protocol violators, such as those not wearing face masks, will still be implemented.
Read: EOC: Penalties for no face mask remains
Read: Mandaue City to continue penalizing health protocol violators
/bmjo
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