The Department of Education (DepEd) stated on Wednesday, February 2, that it has allowed its regional units to begin the progressive growth phase of limited face-to-face sessions, following President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval.
The Department of Education’s regional directors has submitted a list of 6,686 schools that have passed the School Safety Assessment Tool across the country, according to the department (SSAT).
Primary education students can attend face-to-face lessons in 304 public schools in Alert Level 2 areas.
- The Manila Metropolitan Area (118 schools) – The pilot program’s 28 schools began in-person instruction in December 2021, and the expansion phase’s schools will resume in February.
- The Cagayan Valley municipal governments have yet to approve the 12 Batanes schools (12 schools). If permission is obtained, face-to-face training will begin February 7-11 in Batanes.
- One hundred six schools in C. Luzon In four Bulacan school offices, face-to-face instruction starts on February 21.
- Calabarzon (57 schools) Twenty-one schools in Rizal and 36 in Cavite will join the extended period of limited face-to-face instruction. These schools have met all SSAT requirements and are awaiting municipal approval. Classes will be expanded starting February 14.
- Visayas (16 schools) On February 7, three schools in Southern Leyte will open, and on February 14, seven in Maasin and six in Biliran.
No face-to-face lessons are being held because schools are on their SY 2021-2022 calendar’s February 2-5 mid-year vacation. Following nearly two years of shutdown due to the epidemic, the Philippines’ three-pronged approach for reopening schools for face-to-face instruction is now in its expansion phase. 287 public and private schools participated in the testing phase, which lasted one month from November to December 2021.
Depending on their capacity, schools may already have additional grade levels during the expansion period. Only kindergarten, grades 1–3, and senior high school participated in the pilot.
Following the World Health Organization’s proclamation of a pandemic in March 2020, the Philippines, one of Asia’s most virus-infected countries, was the last to reopen schools for in-person classes.
Read more: Limited face-to-face classes has started
