Cabinet to discuss proposal to hold pilot face-to-face classes in low risk areas next week

MANILA, Philippines — The proposal to hold pilot in-person classes in low-risk areas is expected to be discussed in the next Cabinet meeting on Monday, Malacañang said Wednesday.

President Rodrigo Duterte approved last December the holding of a dry run of face-to-face classes in places with low pandemic risk. The president, however, canceled it after a more infectious COVID-19 variant was detected in the Philippines. Last Monday, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) recommended that the government push through with the dry run, saying it was able to contain the new virus strain.

"I confirm that it (pilot in-person classes) will be discussed again. On (February) 22, on Monday, there will be a Cabinet meeting. One of the agenda is the continuation of the deferred face-to-face classes in areas with low number of or no COVID (transmission)," presidential spokesman Harry Roque told state-run Radyo Pilipinas.

"That will be discussed again now that we are aware that there has been no community transmission of the UK variant in the Philippines and the vaccines are set to arrive," he added.

The dry-run of face-to-face classes proposed by the Department of Education will require regional directors to come up with a list of participating schools. DepEd officials and participating schools were supposed to hold orientiations and other readiness measures last month. Actual pilot activities were supposed to be held from January 11 to 23.

Aside from the conduct of the pilot face-to-face classes, NEDA also recommended the placing of the entire Philippines under the most lenient modified general community quarantine, the expansion of public transport, and the easing of age-based movement restrictions to revive the pandemic-struck economy.

The number of COVID-19 infections in the Philippines has breached 551,000 with more than 11,000 deaths.