House leader raises alarm over optional face mask use in schools

A House leader on Thursday raised alarm over the decision of the Department of Education (DepEd) to make face mask use optional in classrooms.

"DepEd should not let minimum health standards be optional in schools since we are still in a pandemic. Allowing the optional wearing of face masks in schools does not provide teachers and students the safe reopening of classes," House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro said in a statement.

"We are still under the COVID-19 pandemic and data on positive cases may be underreported. Allowing optional wearing of face masks in schools may put many lives of children and teachers in danger," she added.

Castro, who represents ACT Teachers party-list, issued the statement a day after schools went on full face-to-face classes for the first time since COVID-19 pandemic prompted the closure of schools in March 2020.

According to her, the DepEd should at least require the wearing face masks since it cannot provide adequate facilities to implement proper social distancing given the cramped classrooms that also fail to provide proper ventilation.

She also reiterated her call for the government to address the overcrowding in classrooms, the lack of school health facilities and school nurses, the poor ventilation in classrooms, and the lack of a medical fund for infected teachers and personnel before doing away with face masks.

Meanwhile, Senator Risa Hontiveros said schools should be given the leeway to adopt optional face mask policies.

"Bagaman pwede naman talagang i-align sa national policy ang boluntaryong pagsusuot ng face  mask, dahil sa kalagayan at limitasyon ng ating mga eskwelahan, lalo na sa pampublikong paaralan, we strongly encourage that schools be given flexibility in adopting optional face mask policies as part of their safety protocols and mechanism," she said in a statement.

She acknowledged that students' return to classrooms is an important part of addressing the country's education crisis.

Hontiveros then reminded the public to wear face masks and get their COVID-19 vaccines as well as booster shots to prevent severe cases and hospitalization.

Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, chairman of the Senate health and demography panel, said the public should not be complacent as the threat of COVID-19 remains.

"Kung hindi naman sagabal o mahirap, hinihikayat ko ang lahat lalo na ang kabataan na magsuot pa rin ng masks.  Ito ay bilang proteksyon hindi lang sa ating mga sarili kundi maging sa mga kapamilya nating mahihina ang resistensya, mga matatanda, sakitin at hindi pa bakunado.  Huwag lang muna tayong magkumpyansa," he said.

The lawmaker reiterated his appeal for those unvaccinated to get their COVID-19 doses and mentioned that the booster vaccination rate in the country remains low.

"Masyadong mababa pa ang booster rate natin, isa sa mga pinakamababa sa buong Southeast Asian region. As of November 1, we have only vaccinated around 48% of children aged 5-11. First booster dose uptake remains low nationally among all age groups at around 26% of the target population. Inuulit ko: dapat bakunado para protektado," he said.

GMA News Online has reached out to DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa for comment and will publish his response as soon as it becomes available.

Poa earlier said that the optional wearing of face masks in schools was in accordance with Executive Order 7 issued by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., which allows the optional wearing of face masks both in outdoor and indoor settings except for health facilities and public transport. —Llanesca T. Panti and Hana Bordey/KBK/VBL, GMA News