Duterte wants limited face-to-face classes to continue to restore normalcy

President Rodrigo Duterte said on Friday, April 15, that face-to-face classes need to resume in public and private schools as it is vital to restore normalcy in the country despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

As far as I’m concerned, we need to go back to normal,

Duterte said.

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He also expressed that he is confident that the Department of Education (DepEd) will be ready to oversee the resumption of face-to-face classes from across the country.

However, he reminded the public to continue wearing face masks to ensure protection against the virus despite the eased protocols.

The infection rate has decreased, but it does not mean that I want you to stop wearing your masks,

he said.

He maintained that the use of face masks would help prevent the further transmission of COVID-19.

Earlier, Education Secretary Leonor Briones reminded participating schools in areas under Alert Levels 1 and 2 to secure a clearance from the local government unit before holding face-to-face classes and only vaccinated students and teachers are allowed to participate.

However, in areas with stricter alert levels, implementation of limited face-to-face classes had been suspended by the national government due to the increase of COVID-19 cases.

According to DepEd data, about 13,692 public and private schools have been participating in limited face-to-face classes as of March 28.

Moreover, as of April 11, more than 10 million children have so far been vaccinated against COVID-19.