80 Western Visayas schools eyed for expanded limited face-to-face classes when COVID-19 eases

BACOLOD CITY––Eighty schools in Western Visayas have been recommended for the expanded limited face-to-face (F2F) classes when the COVID-19 Alert Level in the region is downgraded to 1 or 2.

Western Visayas is under COVID-19 Alert Level 3.

Limited F2F classes could not be conducted in areas under Alert Level 3, said Assistant Secretary Malcolm Garma of the Department of Education.

The limited F2F classes will cover kindergarten to Grade 12 but will require the concurrence of local chief executives and the parents’ consent.

Recommended for F2F classes in the following division offices were: Negros Occidental – 16 schools, Silay City -16, Sagay City – 10, San Carlos City – 8, Cadiz City -4, Escalante City – 3, Himamaylan City -2, and Victorias City -1.

Recommended for limited F2F classes in the rest of Western Visayas were Antique – 9 schools, Aklan – 4, Iloilo – 3, Passi – 2, Guimaras -1 and Roxas City -1.

Garma said only vaccinated teachers would be allowed to handle F2F classes.

He said private schools could also start F2F classes if they pass the DepEd assessment and comply with its guidelines.

DepEd data shows that 90.81 percent or 76,755 of its 84,518 personnel in Western Visayas had been vaccinated against COVID -19.

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