Manila declares week-long education ‘health break’

FILE PHOTO A school personnel prepares the stage for Monday’s opening program of in-person classes for some 60 pupils at Aurora A. Quezon Elementary School in Manila. —RICHARD A. REYES

MANILA, Philippines — Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso on Thursday declared a week-long “health break” for students and teachers amid the uptick of COVID-19 cases in the city.

“I am declaring a health break from January 14 to January 21, 2022, for all our students, teachers, and school personnel, all levels, both public and private,” the local chief executive and presidential aspirant announced on Twitter.

“Ito po ay para mabawasan ang anxiety level nating lahat dulot ng tumataas na kaso ng COVID-19. Mag-ingat po palagi,” he added.

I am declaring a HEALTH BREAK from January 14 – January 21, 2022 for all our students, teachers, and school personnel, ALL LEVELS, both public and private.

Ito po ay para mabawasan ang anxiety level nating lahat dulot ng tumataas na kaso ng COVID19.

Mag-ingat po palagi 🙏🏻😷 pic.twitter.com/qHAt7AcAYe

— Isko Moreno Domagoso (@IskoMoreno) January 13, 2022

Earlier, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) called for a two-week health break in areas under Alert Level 3 after a survey it conducted revealed that more than 50 percent of teachers in Metro Manila exhibit flu-like symptoms.

DepEd consequently released a memorandum that allowed its regional and school division offices to order the suspension of classes depending on the COVID-19 situation in their respective jurisdictions.

ACT General Secretary Raymond Basilio said that while DepEd’s action is a “win” for teachers, the agency should still heed their two-week health break.

Basilio, nevertheless, lauded Moreno’s directive for a week-long health break in the city of Manila.

“We are happy with the prompt action of Mayor Isko to our call for a health break. We call on other LGUs to follow the action of Mayor Isko, while we await a more decisive action from the DepEd Central Office who is called to declare a two-week health break in all areas under Alert Level 3,” Basilio told INQUIRER.net in an interview.

“Both teachers and students deserve to have a break especially with the escalating number of COVID-19 infections in the country,” he added.

EDV/KGA