Davao Region, or Southern Mindanao (outlined in red). (Image from Google Maps)
DAVAO CITY, Davao del Sur, Philippines — A total of 18 schools in the Davao Region will pilot the holding of face-to-face classes, which President Rodrigo Duterte has approved on a limited scale.
These schools were selected by the regional office of the Department of Education (DepEd) for being in areas considered to be low-risk to COVID-19, according to Jenielito Atillo, spokesperson of the DepEd Region 11
Atilo did not identify the schools, saying only that they were in two provinces and a city.
Davao City is not included in the initial implementation of the face-to-face classes. But according to Atillo, officials of DepEd and the city government have started discussing the inclusion of its schools in the next batch.
According to Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio, the city government was asked to submit a list of public schools where face-to-face classes will be rolled out and this was discussed with the COVID-19 task force.
She said the city would recommend schools in the three least risky barangays.
DepEd Region 11 has not provided details of the implementation of the face-to-face classes.
But Atillo urged parents to ensure that their children would follow the minimum health protocols.