MANILA — Private establishments and workplaces can require their customers and workers to wear face shields, even in areas where the use of the coverings was earlier made voluntary by government, Malacañang said on Friday.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday made the use of face shields voluntary for areas under COVID-19 Alert Levels 1, 2, and 3.

• Gov't lifts face shield rule for areas under Alert Level 3, below

However, the COVID-19 task force clarified in a resolution that the voluntary use of face shields "is without prejudice to employers still requiring their use for their employees or workers and/or customers in their respective premises," said Duterte’s acting spokesman Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles.

"Kaya puwede pong i-require ng employers ang mga empleyado nila mag-face shield sa kanilang workplaces at puwede rin pong i-require ng private establishments ang mga customers nila na mag-face shield," he said in a press briefing.

(This is why employers can require their employees to wear face shields in their workplaces and private establishments can require customers to use face shields.)

"That is within their discretion po," added the official.

The government previously required face shields in all public areas, becoming the only country in the world with such mandate for all during the pandemic.