Residents of Benguet are mandated to wear facemasks during the duration of the enhanced community quarantine.
In Ordinance 2020-265, the sangguniang panlalawigan has reiterated the call of the Department of the Interior and Local Government for the various local government units to pass an ordinance requiring its citizens to wear facemasks as one of the precautionary measures in the spread of Covid-19.
“The mandatory wearing of face masks whenever the people of Benguet are in public places is an additional measure that can be required of them aside from practicing social or physical distancing, staying at home, work at home, and use of quarantine pass during this period of enhanced community quarantine and extension thereof,” it stated.
The ordinance added wearing of face masks is a contingent measure against the disease whether a person has symptoms or not.
“Wearing of face masks during this public health crisis is a good health intervention not only to protect the person wearing it but also to protect the people against the droplets coming out of one’s respiratory system,” it added.
The ordinance added the mandatory wearing of face masks shall be enforced during a declaration of state of public health emergency or other similar declaration of pandemic caused by coronavirus or other influenza-like illnesses.
To promote the ordinance, all private commercial establishments must display a full copy of the ordinance in the entrance of their respective facilities and to strictly prohibit the entry of persons who are not wearing a face mask.
Those who violate the ordinance would be penalized.
First time violators shall attend a community service or awareness campaigns on Covid-19 for at least three hours to be conducted by the barangays and other offices concerned.
For the second and subsequent offenses, violators shall be monitored and strictly prohibited from leaving their residence during the remaining period of the ECQ.
Exception would be during emergency or medical situation that poses danger to them. They would also be fined P500 to be paid to the Treasurer’s Office.
The Benguet Police Provincial Office and barangay officials will enforce the ordinance, which was adopted by the provincial board on April 13. – Ofelia C. Empian
