MANILA, Philippines — The resumption of face-to-face classes is the “biggest accomplishment” of the Department of Education (DepEd) in the first 100 days of the current administration, agency spokesperson Michael Poa said Friday.
During a press conference, he mentioned how the COVID-19 pandemic had kept many children from going to school for the past two years.
“Ang talagang pinakamalaking accomplishment ng Department of Education sa pamumuno ng ating Vice President and Secretary of Education is ‘yung pagbabalik ng learners sa schools,” Poa said, referring to Vice President Sara Duterte who also serves in concurrent capacity as chief of DepEd.
(The top accomplishment of the Department of Education under the leadership of our Vice President and Secretary of Education is the return of learners to schools.)
“Bakit po? Kasi for the past two years, talagang pong maraming hindi nakapag-aral sa ating mga kababayan. So talagang iyon ang pinakamalaking accomplishment natin for the first 100 days na naibalik natin siya,” he added.
(Why? Because for the past two years, many students could not return to school. So that is the biggest accomplishment for the first 100 days, the resumption of face-to-face classes.)
The Director of DepEd’s Public Affairs Service also said that their agency tried to reopen in-person classes in the country “as safe as possible” by giving students enrollment options and releasing guidelines to ensure safety protocols, among others.
Schools have resorted mainly to distance learning due to the pandemic, with the health and safety of faculty members, staff, and students as the principal consideration. Gradual resumption of face-to-face classes started on August 22, the opening of School Year 2022-2023. Full in-person classes are anticipated to begin this November.
The administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will mark its first 100 days in office on Saturday, October 8.
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