The joint memorandum, signed by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd and Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, mandates the wearing of face masks and face shields inside private establishments, those in special economic zones and other areas under the jurisdiction of Investment Promotion Agencies. Covered by the circular are the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, Clark Development Corp., Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan, and Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport. Workers and employees must wear face masks and face shields “when interacting with colleagues, clients and/or visitors,” the circular said. Face shields can only be removed “according to the demands of the work or when the occupational safety and health of the employees so requires,” it added. Lopez earlier said the plan was to gradually and safely reopen the economy to allow more workers to get back to work.

Source: Manila Times August 19, 2020 16:07 UTC