Palace: Classes to start on August 24 unless DepEd recommends otherwise

MANILA, Philippines — Classes will still open on August 24,2020 unless the education secretary recommends adjusting the date in light of the new law signed by President Rodrigo Duterte, Malacañang said Monday.

The President has signed a law which allows the rescheduling of the opening of classes during a state of emergency or calamity.

“So ang sabi ko po kanina, ang desisyon po ay August 24. Unless magkakaroon po ng bagong rekomendasyon ang ating kalihim na Secretary of Education, baka hindi po mabago yung school opening,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online briefing.

(As I earlier said, the decision is August 24. Unless there will be a new recommendation by the education secretary, the date of the school opening will perhaps not change.)

“Pero this certainly gives flexibility to the Executive department kung sa tingin nila mas kinakailangan pa ng mas mahabang panahon bago tayo bumalik sa eskwelahan,” Roque added.

(But this certainly gives flexibility to the executive department if they think a longer period of time is needed before resuming classes.)

The Department of Education is to implement “blended learning” once classes start on August 24 where learning modules, television, radio and the internet are utilized as media of instruction.

There are proposals to conduct limited face-to-face classes in areas under the most lenient lockdown measure or modified general community quarantine but Roque said this has yet to be approved by the COVID-19 task force and the President.

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