Classes in Metro Manila suspended until March 14

MANILA, Philippines — Cabinet members and local executives have agreed to suspend classes in all levels starting today until Saturday, President Duterte announced last night.

“The reason being that we will see the incubation period, which is not ordinarily like a normal virus – three or four, it can be as long as 14 days. So, in these 14 days, one is to keep safe the children; second is we’re going to establish a benchmark on how many (days) more can be added,” Duterte said at a press briefing at Malacañang.

 The President noted that the Department of Education (DepEd) wants children to study while they are at home.

“If we keep our children sequestered at home and study here… Secretary of Education (Leonor) Briones has insisted they should stay (at) home, but study... The children should study even while they are detained in their respective homes,” he said.

Earlier yesterday, Briones said the decision on whether or not the government would cut short the school year to help stem the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) will be made in the coming days.

Briones, however, said she would strongly oppose any move to allow mass promotion of students.

“The law is clear as to the number of days of face-to-face contact between teachers and students… We might be held liable, but if the President tells us – it’s only the President who can tell us to cut (the school year) short,” she said.

The proposal is being carefully studied by the Department of Education (DepEd), according to Briones.

The Department of Health (DOH) has raised the COVID-19 Alert System to Code Red Sublevel 1, following the confirmation of local transmission in the country and in anticipation of possible community transmission.

As for suspending classes in localities to safeguard jurisdictions and constituencies against the virus, the DepEd is leaving it up to local government
 units (LGUs) to decide.

“It is their legal mandate,” Briones told The STAR.

DepEd Undersceretary and Briones’ chief of staff Nepomuceno Malaluan said the agency chose to get its guidance from the DOH and the Interagency Task Force (IATF) on COVID-19.

“For now, we’re taking note of suspensions made by the LGUs. Localized suspensions, which we recognize, are OK with us pending the IATF meeting today,” Malaluan told The STAR in a separate interview.

“We want our decision to be properly informed by a public health risk assessment that is within the expertise of the DOH,” he added.

The DepEd wanted to avoid undue suspension of classes so as to assure more classroom-based instruction days for the benefit of the millions of learners, according to Malaluan.

Meanwhile, the DepEd has suspended all national, regional, division and district events that involve the gathering of learners and teachers following the DOH’s raising of red alert status in the country.

Under DepEd Memorandum 34 issued yesterday and signed by Briones, the holding of activities that call for the gathering or congregation of people was suspended indefinitely, especially in areas with confirmed cases of COVID-19.

“Organizers are advised to seek the recommendation of local health authorities should the activities push through,” the DepEd said.

Exempted from the suspension are the ongoing National Schools Press Conference (NSPC) in Tuguegarao City in Cagayan and the National Festival of Talents (NFOT) in Ilagan City in Isabela, both in the Cagayan Valley or Region 2.

“(The NSPC and NFOT) are ongoing and the participants are already in the venue over the weekend, so we decided to proceed with those two events,” Malaluan said.

He said organizers of the NSPC and NFOT have made sure that all safety measures against COVID-19 are in place and strictly enforced.

The Palarong Pambansa 2020 set to be hosted by Marikina City in May has been suspended amid the heightened measures being implemented by the Marikina City government as it monitors the first confirmed COVID-19 case in the city.

Education Undersecretary for administration Alain del Pascua said DepEd Memorandum 34 had declared the suspension of the Palarong Pambansa regional meets.

Putting the safety of the athletes and their families first, Marikina City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro yesterday came out with his order to suspend the games.

Last Sunday, Teodoro suspended classes in all levels in public and private schools in the city from yesterday until tomorrow to give way to a massive disinfection of all schools in the city.