Bishop to students: Value time with teachers, classmates

MANILA, Philippines — Bayombong Bishop and chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education (CBCP-ECCCE), Jose Elmer Mangalinao urged students to value time with their teachers and classmates as face-to-face classes are set to resume on Monday.

In an interview with Church-run Radyo Veritas, Mangalinao said that students should learn how to value time with their teachers and classmates as their way of catching up after the country was hit by the COVID pandemic.

Mangalinao said students and teachers should welcome the resumption of face-to-face classes “with so much hope and enthusiasm.”

“We are hoping that everybody learned from these pandemic times, how important is the face-to-face medium of instruction and how valuable it is to see your teachers, classmates and friends each day,” Mangalinao said when asked for his message to students and teachers for the opening of classes this week.

The Department of Education (DepEd) scheduled the resumption of face-to-face classes nationwide tomorrow, Monday.

With the opening of classes, Mangalinao also urged teachers and school personnel to take their missions to educate the youth seriously, as he reminded them how blessed they were for surviving the challenges brought about by the pandemic.

“As we are given another chance to begin again, may we all learn that we are blessed with the gifts of life, faith and mission… I pray that all those involved in the training, formation and education of our young may take to heart the mission of helping them see the meaning of life by their words and actions,” he said.

Mangalinao also prayed that everyone will be blessed with what they have prayed for and achieve the reason behind the resumption of physical classes through the collaborative efforts of teachers, parents and students.