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MANILA, Philippines — Only 30 schools will participate in the pilot limited face-to-face classes starting November 15, a Department of Education (DepEd) official said Tuesday.
DepEd Assistant Secretary Malcolm Garma said the Department of Health’s (DOH) epidemiology bureau so far evaluated 638 schools for the pilot in-person classes and approved 59 after assessment, but only 30 of them will proceed because some local government units (LGUs) and parents changed their minds about it.
“Ang makakapagpatuloy lang ay ‘yung 30. Kasi nga ‘yung iba ayaw na ng LGU, ‘yung iba umatras na sila, ‘yung iba ayaw nung magulang, o ‘yung iba tumaas yung cases,” Garma explained during a press briefing.
(Only 30 schools would proceed because some LGUs backed out, the parents also backed out, and in other areas cases increased.)
Below is the list of schools in Visayas and Mindanao that would participate in the pilot face-to-face classes beginning mid-November this year:
Masbate (Region 5)
- Gutusan Elementary School in Masbate City
- Sinalongan Elementary School in Masbate City
- Mary B. Perpetua National High School in Milagros
Antique (Region 6)
- Mayabay Elementary School in Barbaza
- Igsoro Elementary School in Bugasong
- Laserna Integrated School in Nabas, Aklan
Cebu (Region 7)
- Basak Elementary School in Samboan
- Mahanlud Elementary School in Malabuyoc
- Cabagdalan in Balamban
- Luyongbaybay Elementary School in Bantayan
- Cañang-Marcelo Luna National High School in Oslob
- Busay National High School in Moalboal
- Pilar National High School in Pilar
- Siocon Elementary School in Bogo City
Zamboanga Sibugay (Region 9)
- Siloh Elementary School in Siay
- San Vicente Elementary School in Payao
Zamboanga del Sur (Region 9)
- Manga National High School in Pagadian City
- Manga Elementary School
- Lala Elementary School
- Sominot National High School in Don Mariano Marcos
- Tabina Elementary School in Tabina
- Guipos National High School in Guipos
Lanao del Norte (Region 10)
- Dalama Central Elementary School in Baroy
- Babalaya Elementary School in Bacolod
- Napo Elementary School in Linamon
- Masibay Integrated School in Nunungan
- Tambacon Integrated School in Magsaysay
- Marcela T. Mabanta NHS in Kauswagan
North Cotabato (Region 12)
- Paco National High School in Kidapawan City
- Bato Elementary School in Makilala
The DepEd aims to allow only 100 public schools and 20 private schools for the pilot face-to-face classes in keeping with its agreement with the DOH. Garma said this list may increase as they are still in the process of validating other pending applications for the conduct of limited in-person classes, which run from November 15 until January 2022.
“There is a possibility that we can reach 100 or less. However, with the one hundred as a pilot, we will now venture into the expansion program, based on the study,” he added.
“The pilot implementation only refers to the study, the period of the study, which is two months, or it can be less,” he added.
Garma said the initially approved 30 schools for face-to-face classes would still employ blended learning until the end of School Year 2021-2022.