A Catholic bishop welcomed the decision of the Department of Education to postpone the start of face-to-face classes across the country following a surge in coronavirus cases.
“The life and safety of everybody is more important,” said Bishop Rex Andrew Alarcon of Daet, head of the Episcopal Commission on Youth of the bishops’ conference, over Radio Veritas 846.
“The cancelation of face-to-face classes will have an impact, but it is also important to ensure the safety of the children and their teachers,” said the prelate.
He said that during the time of crisis, “it is important to see what our priorities are, what are the most important things.”
Authorities this week announced that limited face-to-face classes in the national capital have been suspended amid rising COVID-19 cases.
“The suspension of face to face classes is automatic as Metro Manila goes under stricter alert Level 3 status starting Monday until January 15 due to increase in COVID-19 cases and recorded cases of Omicron variant,” read a statement from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authorit.
Under the country’s COVID-19 task force’s guidelines for the implementation of alert level system, the holding of limited face-to-face classes was prohibited in areas under Alert Level 3.
In December last year, at least 28 public schools participated in the pilot run of limited face-to-face classes in Metro Manila.
In November 2021, the government had finally approved the limited face-to-face classes in over a hundred schools in the country.
