DAVAO CITY – Higher educational institutions (HEIs) in Davao City will be permitted to conduct face-to-face examinations and even classes in some cases, starting September 1, as the city government tries to bring some semblance of normalcy back into society despite the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

In her Executive Order No. 47, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte said the HEIs, including post-graduate courses, must maintain at least one-meter physical distancing between students while the classrooms or venues must accommodate not more than 50 percent of its capacity.

Duterte said face-to-face examinations will be allowed in these educational levels.

The local chief executive added that face-to-face classroom instruction will be permitted in schools where their students are housed in dormitories, with limited exposure to other people and, have regulated access to public areas, provided that they implement minimum public health standards such as wearing masks, maintaining one-meter physical distancing, avoiding activities that require physical contact, and ensuring only 50 percent of the venue will be occupied.

She said technical and vocational education and training centers may also conduct face-to-face training and competency assessment provided that minimum public health requirements are strictly implemented.

However, the mayor said the face-to-face instructions from kindergarten to post-graduate studies will remain prohibited, directing all private and public educational institutions to implement “blended learning system” until end of this year or for a possible extension until April 30, 2021.

She said that the schools may choose to pursue synchronous and asynchronous platform; offline through use of emails, messaging tools, USB flash drive; modular printed materials, television, radio broadcast; and other modes of instruction to serve the students.

As of August 4, the Department of Health-Davao recorded a total of 1,405 cases, of whom 516 are active, 835 recovered, and 54 died.

Of the total cases, 934 were in Davao City, 111 in Davao de Oro, 150 in Davao del Norte, 64 in Davao del Sur, 33 in Davao Occidental, and 113 in Davao Oriental.