DAVAO CITY — Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte on Friday said he wants to keep the mandatory wearing of face masks in the entire city, at least until the end of the year.

In his radio program, Duterte said that despite the recommendation from the national Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), the easing of the face mask policy will not be imposed immediately in Davao City should it be approved.

He said he supports the recommendation of Acting City Health Officer Dr. Ashley Lopez to maintain the mandatory wearing of face masks indoors and outdoors until December.

“I agree to implement the mandatory mask rule until December because I want to see what will happen to provinces, municipalities and cities that will not impose face masks,” he said in Cebuano.

The mayor said that the city will only ease the mask rule if others areas in the country would be fine after implementation.

"I do not want us to lead because COVID is a huge problem," the mayor said, noting that for the past two years, the city's economy suffered due to the deadly virus.

The mayor said that Dabawenyos should wait until the data from other places would become conclusive, showing that non-wearing of face masks is safe.

"We will wait until December or maybe earlier, if we could check the data from other places, if it is ok, then we will implement the optional face mask, that is what we will do," the mayor said.

Since July this year, there has been an increase in active COVID-19 cases in Davao City.

From 101 active cases on July 2, coronavirus infections in the city increased to 620 on September 3.

— report from Hernel Tocmo

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