Face shields are no longer required outdoors except in public transportation and crowded places, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque announced Monday.
"'Yung mga nagtatanong, kailangan pa ba ang face shields? Ang malinaw po ganito ha. Hindi na po kinakailangan and face shields sa labas," Roque said in a statement.
"Hindi po inapela ng IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) ang hindi pagsusuot ng face shield sa labas. What was appealed by IATF was the mandatory use of face shield in public transport, enclosed spaces and crowded places such as public markets," he added.
Earlier, Senate President Vicente Sotto announced that Duterte agreed that face shield should only be worn when inside hospitals.
In an interview, Sotto recalled telling Duterte that the Philippines is the only country in the world that requires the use of a full-face shield in public.
Previously, Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said face shields can be removed in outdoor settings as the risk of COVID-19 transmission is low when an individual is in an open space.
The proposal to scrap the mandatory use of full face-shield was recently floated by Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno.
However, the idea was rejected by the DOH and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), who both maintained that the wearing of full-face shields will remain as the country still has low vaccination against COVID-19.
