The Malacañang Palace issued Proclamation No. 297 last 21 July 2023 effectively lifting the State of Public Health Emergency throughout the Philippines due to COVID-19. The document published in the Official Gazette was signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.
For its part, the Department of Transportation (DOTr), through Department Order No. 2023-017 lifted all COVID-19 health protocols in public transportation systems in the country. Major airlines in the Philippines issued their respective statements following this update:
AirAsia Philippines (Z2/AK)
AirAsia Philippines has announced that wearing face masks shall no longer be implemented on all domestic flights. Meanwhile, wearing face masks for international destinations shall remain subject to the existing health protocols in the destination country. AirAsia destinations Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan have lifted the face mask requirement as early as Q1 2023.
Despite dropping the face mask policy, AirAsia Philippines remains committed to adhering to the highest standards of safety among all its flights.
“There is no room for complacency in the airline business. We want our guests to feel secure when they fly with AirAsia. Although it is no longer a policy, guests, and crew may still opt to wear face masks whenever they deem necessary. However, we also want to reiterate that our aircraft are equipped with High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters which filter and block 99.97% of airborne particles including known bacteria and viruses,” according to Steve Dailisan, Country Head for Communications and Public Affairs and Spokesperson of AirAsia Philippines.
Cebu Pacific (5J/DG)
“Effective July 24, 2023, Cebu Pacific (CEB) will no longer require its passengers to wear face masks on their flights, following the lifting of the Philippines’ COVID-19 public health emergency status. Passengers are advised to continue practicing minimum health standards such as washing of hands, disinfecting, and physical distancing when necessary. Passengers are also encouraged to check-in online to maintain contactless flight procedures and avoid queuing in the airport check-in counters. Go straight to gate or proceed to our self-bag tag kiosks before dropping bags off. For questions or concerns, passengers can send a message to Charlie the Chatbot via https://m.me/cebupacificair,” according to an advisory sent by the airline to members of the press.
Philippine Airlines (PR/2P)
“Philippine Airlines welcomes the lifting of the mask mandate and other COVID protocols, giving our passengers the flexibility of choice. This is a significant sign of the normalization of air travel and proof that the Philippines is open for business and tourism. We assure that despite the removal of existing COVID-19 protocols, we will continue to observe safety procedures such as disinfection of aircraft surfaces after every flight and the use of HEPA filters and an advanced air flow system inside the aircraft cabin to help mitigate any potential health risks. We shall continue to comply with any COVID-related regulation imposed by specific countries,” the airline said in a statement posted online.