By Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz
There is no suspension of classes yet in all University of the Philippines (UP) campuses nationwide amid confirmed cases of 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country.
While classes continue, “we urge the UP System community to remain calm and disseminate confirmed and authorized information only,” the UP Office of the Student Regent (OSR) said in a statement on Monday.
“Let us prevent the spread of misinformation and undue alarm as we collectively do our best in preventing the further transmission of the virus, especially in our campuses and regions,” it added.
The OSR said the executive committee of the UP president will be holding a meeting on Tuesday, while all UP chancellors are expected to meet this week to discuss immediate plans of action and possible scenarios.
Some matters that have been already raised to the Board of Regents level, which the UP System administration is expected to answer, include the specific actions that will be undertaken by all UP constituent units in response to the Department of Health’s (DOH) Code Red Sub-level 1.
DOH last Saturday raised the country’s COVID-19 alert system following a confirmation of the first case of local transmission.
During the meetings, UP administration is also tasked to determine emergency or responsive actions that may be undertaken in case of further virus spread.
This will ensure that classes, or at least, learning, is not disrupted or disruption minimized or managed; work, salaries, and benefits of faculty and staff may be protected, particularly contractuals who are on no work-no pay; UP operations remain funded, its buildings, facilities, equipment and grounds maintained, secured, protected against all form of damage; and health and safety are protected through preventive and remedial interventions.
The OSR recommended the UP community to check daily updates and information about COVID-19 by visiting the websites of the DOH and World Health Organization.
“We call on UP and the nation to demand for free, accessible, and swift healthcare for all now, alongside transparency,” it added.