The government must make "some adjustments" to ensure the protection of students from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), President Duterte said Monday ahead of the opening of classes next week.

The President said Education Secretary Leonor Briones has been “adamant” in insisting that education must continue even in the face of the pandemic.

The opening of classes for the school year 2020-2021 is scheduled on October 5 as the country shifts to alternative learning methods.

"Secretary Briones is one human being na talagang she can be adamant at times but always insistent that even with this pandemic evolving in front of us, that education should not be put aside or just pushed in one corner," the President said in his televised address Monday night. "Para sa kanya (For her) the way I see it, is that you fight your COVID-19 and I will do my own thing. So we have to, you know, make some adjustments here to address everybody’s concern. Since it is her worry, the education, so let’s give it to her as long as the students are protected," he added.

Duterte also appealed anew to telecommunication firms to improve their services especially since classes are about to start. He said he hopes the telcos will do a “better job” especially in the wake of public complaints on their “very poor” services.

"With the classes going to start, our students now will rely heavily on the use of electronics,” he said.

The government has decided to move the class opening to October 5 to give stakeholders time to prepare for the shift to the blended learning method. Some sectors had earlier pushed for the delay of the academic year amid concerns the  teachers and learners may not yet be equipped for alternative learning.

The distance learning strategies, such as online classes, modular learning, and radio and television-based education programs, have been endorsed by the government in lieu of face-to-face classes to protect the students from the coronavirus infection.