College face-to-face classes in NCR start next month

Limited face-to-face classes among higher education institutions (HEIs) in the National Capital Region (NCR) will open next month, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said.

The Department of Education (DepEd), meanwhile, recommended the expansion of its limited face-toface classes that will only include vaccinated participants.

CHED Chairman Popoy De Vera explained during President Duterte’s “Talk to the People” aired on Jan. 17 that universities and colleges under Alert Level 3 were allowed to begin the conduct of limited face-to-face classes by the end of this month.

However, given the continuous surge in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the country, De Vera said Metro Manila HEIs “have decided to start the implementation of limited face-to-face classes in February 2022,” including the University of the

Philippines (UP) for graduate school and select courses only.

Despite this, De Vera said “HEIs can open their semester online for the meantime, then can shift to limited face-to-face classes when the data on the ground shows that it is already safe.”

With this adjustment, De Vera said enrollment is ongoing for the second semester in many NCR schools.

De Vera also said HEIs in regions VII, VIII, and Caraga “have moved their opening” to pave the way for

the repair of facilities damaged by Typhoon “Odette.”

Expanded face-to-face classes

In the same Talk to the People, DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones updated President Duterte on the pilot run of limited face-to-face classes and its possible expansion by next month.

Briones reported to the President that the pilot run of face-to-face classes held from Nov. 15 to Dec. 22 had been “highly successful” given the “high level of attendance” among students.

A total of 287 schools and 15,000 students participated in the pilot run. “No confirmed” coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases among the participants during the pilot run, Briones said.

Given the positive outcome of the pilot run, Briones said the DepEd is recommending the “progressive expansion” of face-to-face classes in areas under Alert Levels 1 and 2.

“Expansion will commence not earlier than the first week of February,” Briones said.

During the expansion phase, the DepEd is recommending that only vaccinated teachers and nonteaching

personnel be allowed to participate.

Briones added that the “participation of vaccinated students shall be preferred.”

She said that the framework of shared responsibility that includes the concurrence of local government units (LGUs) and parents’ consent “will remain a requirement.”

Briones clarified that schools in areas under Alert Level 3, such as the National Capital Region (NCR) and Region IV-A, will not be included in the expansion phase due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in these places.