DESPITE the order of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on voluntary use of face shield in areas under Alert Levels 3, 2 and 1, Bacolod City will still need to wait for a while.

This is because Mayor Evelio Leonardia is yet to issue an Executive Order (EO) regarding the matter, local IATF head Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran said.

"This is in order to erase the confusion of the public, let's wait for the EO so that we have clear guidelines because the IATF's memorandum stated that wearing of face shields should be voluntary," Familiaran said.

Bacolod City and the rest of Western Visayas region is currently under Alert Level 2.

On November 15, President Rodrigo Duterte approved the guidelines on wearing of face shields depending on the alert level of an area as per recommendation of the IATF in its Resolution 148-D Series of 2021 issued on November 11.

For areas under Alert Level 5 and granular lockdowns, the use of face shields in the community settings shall be mandatory, while for areas under Alert Level 4, local government units and private establishments were given the discretion to mandate the use of face shields.

Though the use of face shield is voluntary, Familiaran said the business establishments still have an option to require, or not, their customers to wear face shields pending the issuance of the EO.

He said there is no need to amend the ordinance since the mayor has an authority to change the health protocol restrictions needed.