DOT backs easing mask mandate to boost PH tourism

The Department of Tourism (DOT) supports the recommendation to ease the country's COVID-19 mask mandate outdoors, citing it would boost the recovery of the Philippine tourism sector.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco noted that neighboring ASEAN countries and other nations like Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong have lifted their mask mandates, leading to an increase in tourist arrivals and a decrease in daily COVID-19 cases.

Frasco emphasized that easing mask requirements would put the Philippines at par with its competitors, giving it a better chance to regain its tourism industry's vibrancy.