DepEd makes wearing of face masks in classrooms optional
The use of face masks in schools will now be optional, announced the Department of Education (DepEd), a November 1.
DepEd spokesman Michael Poa informed the reporters via text, “We will comply with Executive Order 7.”
On October 28, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order 7, repealing the mask requirement that had been in effect since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
According to EO 7, Poa continued, “Schools may immediately use voluntary masking indoors.”
EO 7 also mandates the implementation of “minimum public health standards,” including “good hygiene, frequent hand-washing, observance of physical distancing, and maintenance of good ventilation, especially in indoor settings.”
According to Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte’s directive, five days of face-to-face instruction should begin in all public schools nationwide on Wednesday, November 2. She regarded the start of regular classrooms across the nation as one of her administration’s most significant achievements during the first 100 days. Although the return to in-person instruction was long overdue, the remote education model was failing to educate students.
Marcos allowed the voluntary use of face masks in outdoor settings in September, a decision that was opposed by leading Philippine medical authorities. They claimed that saying the public “should not be terrified of COVID-19 anymore” would give the wrong message.
