Cebu's Governor Gwen has issued an EO Lifting Outdoor Mask Mandates, Bringing this issue to the Public View. DILG is Determined to Contest Her.

She is the first Governor in the Philippines to issue a executive removing outdoor mask mandates (small steps). Now the topic is opened for public discussion.

Cebu was rather slow with the covid-19 vaccine rollouts, and Cebu’s Covid-19 attributed and excess deaths for 2022 show a different pattern to those of Manila. I previously discussed, here, that the Covid-19 attributed deaths started later and that there was an interesting spike death spike that directly correlated to a vaccine push the week starting 18 October 2021. Philippines wide and Cebu-specific C-19 deaths are set out:-

All cause mortality was also very different; excess deaths started climbing in March of 2021 Philippines wide, but for Region VII, Central Visayas of which Cebu is the largest city, deaths did not climb markedly until July 2021.

Governor Gwen Garcia of Cebu is surely aware that her province is not following national trends. She is also surely aware that there is literature showing masks don’t work to prevent covid-19 transmission, and are even harmful. See: https://brownstone.org/articles/more-than-150-comparative-studies-and-articles-on-mask-ineffectiveness-and-harms/

Governor Garcia issued issued Executive Order No. 16, s. 2022, dated 8th of June, limiting the face mask mandate to “closed and/or air-conditioned spaces.”

Immediately Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) responded that they contest this Order and will charge / arrest people who do not wear masks.

Current IATF guidelines only allow exceptions to the face mask rule when eating or drinking, engaging in sports in well-ventilated venues and [in] outdoor sports or exercises where physical distancing can be maintained.

This is going to get interesting! At least the topic is out in the open now and up for discussion. Thank you Governor Garcia!