DepEd pushes limited face-to-face classes

In non-Covid-19 areas 

By Oliver T. Baccay

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan -- Education Secretary Leonor Briones said she will again submit a proposal to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease to consider limited face-to-face classes in areas with no cases of Covid-19. 
    In a virtual press conference with the media of Cagayan Valley region, Briones said she was inclined to request again to the President in their executive conference to reconsider pilot testing for limited face-to-face classes 
    Late last year, the President approved the proposal to such in areas with low-risk of Covid-19 infection but the order was recalled when new variants were discovered in other countries. 
    "There are areas in the country, including some islands and remote towns of Cagayan Valley, that do not have any case of Covid-19 so maybe they can do limited face-to-face but it is only the President who can decide to whether we can do face-to-face or not," Briones said. 
    She said limited face-to-face in areas without or with minimal cases is supposed to be part of the blended learning strategies.
But this is least priority as the department's top concern is safety and health of the children. 
    "We listen to the proposals on academic ease but not for academic freeze. Our children should continue learning. We will devise all possible means so that they will be behind in the pursuit of their dreams to finish their studies," Briones said. 
    She also urged parents and children to bear with the situation, especially the modular mode of learning. -- PIA 2-Cagayan