Limiting use of face shields ‘a step in right direction’ – Velasco

Speaker Lord Allan Velasco

MANILA, Philippines — For Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, limiting the use of face shields to specific areas is “a step in the right direction.”

“President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s pronouncement that face shields are no longer required outdoors is indeed a welcome development, and we fully support his continuing effort to come up with policies that aim to unburden our kababayans during these trying times,” Velasco said in a statement on Thursday.

Considering the absence of solid medical proof that face shields are effective against the deadly coronavirus, Velasco said “this is a step in the right direction.”

Velasco, who earlier urged Duterte to reconsider the mandatory use of face shields by the public, said:

“This latest policy on the use of face shields would somehow ease the financial burden of poor Filipino families whose livelihood were adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, considering that the mandatory requirement takes away the money for food from these families.”

In addition, it could help reduce the concern about plastic pollution created by face shields, he added.

The government first required people to use face shields in public places at all times in December last year.

READ: Wearing of face shield now required in public places

However, there have been debates on the usefulness of face shield, with some calling for lifting of the policy since it would be an additional cost for Filipinos.