Still no face-to-face classes in SUCs, says CHEd

MANILA, Philippines — There will be no face-to-face classes in state universities and colleges (SUCs) in July, but these may be allowed the following month in low-risk areas, Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) Chair Prospero de Vera said on Wednesday.

De Vera maintained that there would be no in-person classes in July, disputing reports that CHEd might start piloting in-person classes as early as next month.

He, however, said that areas under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), where no new COVID-19 cases have been recorded for at least 28 consecutive days, might allow for classes in some SUCs to open under the traditional learning setup in August.

De Vera said CHEd and the Department of Health were now crafting guidelines on possible face-to-face classes in low-risk MGCQ areas for approval by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, which is managing the pandemic.

“If approved, I will personally visit the higher education institutions [that] will redesign their classrooms, libraries, auditoriums, cafeterias and other facilities based on health protocols and guidelines and see if limited face-to-face is possible,” he said.