DILG sa LGUs : Mask rule sa indoor areas, public transport mananatili

NANAWAGAN ang Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)  sa local government units  na mahigpit pa ring ipatupad ang mask mandate sa  mga indoor areas at pampublikong transportasyon.

Sinabi ni Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. na bahagi ito ng probisyon na nakapaloob sa Executive Order (EO) No. 3 na  tinintahan ni Pangulong  Ferdinand Marcos Jr. hinggil sa boluntaryong paggamit ng  face masks sa mga  outdoor spaces.

“The Department is 100 percent behind President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in the implementation of EO 3 on voluntary face mask use outdoors. But while the face mask policy has been made optional in the outdoors, the use of face masks in indoor public and private establishments and in public conveyances shall continue to be enforced, especially now that cases are on the uptick,” ayon kay Abalos.

Kailangan aniyang  pangunahan ng LGUs  na tiyakin na susunod  ang  publiko sa  indoor at public transport face mask rule sa kani-kanilang lugar.

Inatasan naman ni Abalos ang  Philippine National Police (PNP) na tulungan ang  LGUs na siguraduhin na  susundin ng publiko ang  indoor at public transport face mask rule.

“LGUs and the PNP should coordinate closely in ensuring that the public continues to wear face masks indoors and in public transportation. We are still in the middle of the pandemic and we cannot let our guards down,” ayon kay Abalos.

Gayunman, sinabi ni Abalos na ang mga itinuturing na high-risk individuals  gaya ng mga lolo’t lola, immunocompromised individuals, at hindi pa fully vaccinated ay hinihikayat na magsuot ng face masks at  palaging sundin ang physical distancing.

Pinaalalahanan naman ng Kalihim ang LGUs na magpalabas lamang ng permits to operate sa mga primary tourism enterprises (PTEs),  gaya ng mga hotels at resorts na nakatugon sa  required accreditation  mula sa  Department of Tourism (DOT) alinsunod sa  umiiral na batas at regulasyon.

Ani Abalos, ang Section 122 ng  implementing rules and regulations (IRR) ng Republic Act 9593 o Tourism Act of 2009  ay nagsasaad na “prior accreditation by the DOT is required for the issuance of a license or permit to operate to PTEs by LGUs.”

“Despite the evident booming of our tourism sector following the lull due to the pandemic, PTEs must still abide by tourism laws and regulations. Mahalaga po ang sektor ng turismo sa ating ekonomiya ngunit mahalaga rin na tayo ay sumusunod sa polisiya ng pamahalaan,” ang pahayag ng Kalihim.

Ang PTEs  ay tumutukoy sa ” accommodation establishments such as hotels, resorts, and homestays; travel and tour services such as travel and tour agencies and tour operators; tourist transport operators (e.g. land, water, and air); meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions; adventure/sports and ecotourism facilities; and, tourism frontliners or tour guides, among others.”

At sa pagsisimulang muli ng mga tao na bumiyahe, sinabi ni Abalos na ang  PTEs na  accredited  ng  DOT  ay  garantiya na ang  protocols na ipinatupad ng pamahalaan para sa proteksyon ng mga turista  at  mismong  PTEs  ay nakakasa.

Sinabi pa rin niya na ang  LGUs ang dapat na nasa forefront sa pagbibigay proteksyon sa kapakanan at kaligtasan ng mga turista sa pamamagitan ng  tiyakin na ang PTEs  sa loob ng kanilang hurisdiksyon ay sumusunod sa polisiya ng gobyerno.

“DOT’s mandate for facilities to obtain accreditation ensures the quality of services offered by PTEs is at par with the standards set for the industry, protecting tourists from unreliable transactions from sketchy service providers,” ani Abalos.

“With the DOT accreditation, tourists gain a much-needed peace of mind when they travel,”  aniya pa rin.

Samantala, hinikayat naman ni Abalos  ang publiko na ipagpatuloy lamang ang pagsunod sa  minimum public health standards (MPHS) na itinakda ng Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF)  at magpaturok na ng kanilang bakuna at booster doses  para ma-enjoy ang ligtas at kaaya-ayang pagbyahe sa bansa.

“We should all do our part in sustaining the gains we made in improving the country’s pandemic situation. Let us still follow the health and safety protocols from IATF, and get vaccinated and boosted. Let us unite as one so we can all experience a better normal,” ayon kay Abalos. (Daris Jose)