MANILA, Philippines — Three in every 10 Filipinos said they will no longer wear a face mask once the spread of COVID-19 is controlled, a survey conducted by OCTA Research showed.
Results of the March 5 to 10 survey released on Tuesday showed that only 67 percent of the respondents intend to continue wearing face masks once the spread of the viral illness is already controlled.
Some 29 percent said they would no longer wear face masks, while four percent said they do not know.
The number of those who said they will continue wearing face masks even if COVID-19 is already controlled was highest among respondents in Metro Manila with 71 percent and the rest of Luzon with 70 percent.
It was followed by those in Mindanao with 66 percent and the Visayas with 60 percent.
Those who said that they will no longer wear a face mask was highest among respondents in the Visayas with 39 percent, followed by those in Mindanao with 33 percent, Metro Manila with 29 percent and the rest of Luzon with 23 percent.
Across socio-economic classes, fewer respondents in class E (55 percent) said they will continue wearing masks even if the spread of COVID-19 is contained than those in class ABC (67 percent) and class D (69 percent).
Of those who said they will continue wearing masks even if the spread of COVID-19 is under control, 38 percent said they intend to do so for six months, while 37 percent will do it for one year.
Ten percent will do it for two years, while nine percent said they will continue wearing masks for five years.
Most of those who intend to continue wearing masks for a year were respondents from Metro Manila (66 percent), while those who said they will wear masks for six months were respondents from the Visayas (44 percent).
The poll results were part of OCTA’s Tugon ng Masa survey on COVID-19 pandemic.
It also found 83 percent of respondents approve of what the government has done or is currently doing to prevent the spread of the viral illness.
Meanwhile, the questions on vaccines found that 13 percent of survey respondents were not willing to get a booster shot against COVID-19.
The survey had 1,200 respondents and a margin of error of plus or minus three percent.