Bong Go welcomes approval of limited pilot face-to-face classes in select low-risk areas; reminds authorities to ensure necessary health protocols are always in place

Senator and Chair of the Senate Committee on Health Christopher "Bong" Go welcomed President Rodrigo Duterte's decision to approve the implementation of face-to-face classes in areas with low-risk of COVID-19 transmission. He supported the move but reminded authorities to ensure necessary health protocols are enforced always.

"Importante ang edukasyon dahil ito ang tanging puhunan natin sa mundong ito. Kaya hinihikayat ko ang mga bata na mag-aral kahit na may krisis tayong hinaharap sa paraang ligtas at hindi mailalagay sa peligro ang buhay nila at ng mga pamilya nila," said Go.

"Nananawagan naman ako sa pamahalaan na ipagpatuloy nito ang pagpoprotekta sa kapakanan ng mga kabataan, lalo na ngayong may pandemya. Ang mga bata ang pag-asa ng ating bayan kaya gawin natin ang lahat upang proteksyunan sila," he emphasized.

The said pilot implementation will last for a period of two months and will be done in some 100 public schools and 20 private schools in select low risk areas. The classes will be conducted with a combination of in-person instruction and distance learning modalities.

Kindergarten to Grade 3 classes may last for a maximum of three hours. Kindergarten classes can have as many as 12 students while Grade 1 to 3 classes will have up to 16 students. On the other hand, technical vocational classes may have up to 20 students.

The aforementioned guidelines were developed by the Department of Education in close coordination with the World Health Organization, United Nations Children's Fund and other organizations specializing in children's health.

In line with this development, the Senator also expressed his support for calls to reopen certain programs of higher education institutions (HEIs) in areas under modified general community quarantine for limited in-person instruction. He, however, urged concerned authorities to heed the experts and take the steps required to prevent any infection.

"Sa lahat ng hakbang na ginagawa ng gobyerno, palagi nating inuuna ang pagprotekta sa buhay ng mga Pilipino. Bagama't sinusubukan nating dahan-dahang bumalik sa normal ang pamumuhay, ang pangunahing konsiderasyon natin ay ang kapakanan ng mga tao lalo na ang kabataan," he stressed.

Go underscored the need for clear and consistent protocols to guide local authorities and the HEIs in deciding how the limited reopening of classes can be managed in accordance with the level of risk of COVID-19 exposure within their communities.

"Mag-ingat po tayo para maiwasan na mag-back to zero tayo. Balansehin natin ang kakayahan ng HEI, laki ng klase at seguridad ng mga estudyante, professors at faculty. Ayaw po nating biglang tumaas ang bilang ng mga kaso at baka mahirapan na naman ang ating healthcare system," he cautioned.

The Senator, who serves as a member of the Senate higher education committee, recognized the need to help students whose learnings have been interrupted by the pandemic. He highlighted the need to support students who will be future professionals so they can further contribute to the COVID-19 response efforts.

He warned that the protracted closure of the HEIs could have a serious impact on the quality of their graduates, particularly those enrolled in programs that require a continuous delivery of high-quality education and training experiences.

Such programs include engineering and technology, hotel and restaurant management, tourism or travel management, marine engineering, marine transportation, medical internship, and clinical limited access rotations of certain HEIs.

In addition, Go pointed out that the country's medical schools, such as the University of the Philippines - Manila College of Medicine (UPCM) and the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health (ASMPH) for example, should be able to continue to produce high-performing graduates who can join the health workforce in the short and medium-term.

He noted that certain HEIs have the capacity and resources to safely conduct face-to-face classes, and encouraged authorities to quickly consider the approval of the Medical Internship Program of the UPCM, the Clinical Limited Access Rotation Program of the ASMPH and similar programs from other HEIs, subject to existing policies and other considerations.

In the end, Go reminded that schools and HEIs should not be forced to open against the advice of health experts. He urged the national government to ensure that they have the support and resources they need, such as masks, face shields and other personal protective equipment.

"Let me reiterate po: importante makapag-aral ang mga bata sa paraan na hindi sila mailalagay sa alanganin lalo na kung may risk na mas ma-expose sila sa sakit. Ayaw kong mapunta sa bata ang burden. Ayaw ko ma-pressure ang estudyante na pumasok sa eskuwela tapos may banta naman sa kanilang kalusugan," he ended.