MANILA, Philippines -- In lieu of a suspension of classes, the Miriam College High School (MCHS) administration has given its students the option to go on a 10-day self-quarantine, after three of its students tested positive for Influenza A(H1N1) virus, a school official said.

Students in the elementary and college levels can also opt not to attend classes if they feel that they have the disease, MCHS assistant principal for students affairs Ines de Guzman said.

?We did not cancel the classes because even if we do, there's no assurance that no one will get infected. The virus is already widespread. Students can get it anywhere. If we suspend the classes, students will just go malling around where they can also get the virus,? de Guzman said over the phone.

?However, the parents may opt not to send their children to school. The students will be excused and will be given academic support. They will be given a make up work. All they have to do is call us and inform us,? she said.

But de Guzman said there should be no cause for alarm because the school has made contact tracing to one of the three students with A(H1N1), who came to school last Monday.

She clarified that the first two cases were found to be positive even before the opening of classes last June 11 and they no longer showed up in the school.

The third case, on the other hand, attended classes last Monday but was immediately sent home after testing positive for the virus.