Over 300 universities conducting in-person classes — CHED

(FILE) Classrooms looked like this in November 2021 for nursing students at the Universidad de Manila, which was among the first to try limited in-person classes at the college level. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

MANILA, Philippines — Over 300 universities are now conducting in-person classes, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said Saturday.

“Sa ngayon kaunti pa lang, 313 universities pa lang ang nagpe-face to face,” CHED chairman Prospero de Vera said at the Laging Handa public briefing.

(There are still a few universities conducting face-to-face classes, 313 in total.)

According to De Vera, most of these universities were conducting online classes in January due to the spike of COVID-19 cases at the start of the year, but eventually resumed in-person classes.

In-person classes are already being held for more than 1,000 degree programs, according to the CHED official.

De Vera noted that the Commission had already released guidelines for in-person classes in higher institutions as early as last year.

“Ang pagbabago pagdating ng Alert Level 1 ay tataas ang maximum capacity ng facilities, mula 70 percent to 100 percent capacity ng facility. Ibig sabihin mawawala na ang distancing ng mga upuan sa loob ng classroom, ng gymnasium halimbawa, sa mga laboratories, etc.,” he added.

(What changed during Alert Level 1 is the maximum capacity of facilities will be increased from 70 to 100 percent. This means there will be no distancing in seats inside the classroom, gymnasium, laboratories, etc.)

De Vera also said that more colleges and universities may resume in-person classes in School Year 2022 to 2023.

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