Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has dismissed calls for the resumption of face-to-face learning.
(OFFICE OF SEN. BONG GO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Go, chairman of the Senate health and demography committee, reaffirmed his position in support of President Duterte’s stand not to allow physical classes in schools until a safe vaccine for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is ready for distribution, especially to the poor and vulnerable sectors.
“No vaccine, no face-to-face classes muna, ‘yan po ang aming firm stand ni Pangulong Duterte … Hindi pa po panahon. Habang wala pang vaccine, ‘wag muna ang face-to-face classes,’’ he said. (No vaccine, no face-to-face classes yet, that is our firm stand with President Duterte… this not the right time. In the absence of a vaccine, there will no face-to-face classes.)
“Pag-ingatan natin ang mga bata. Malilikot rin 'yung mga nasa murang edad pa kaya malaki ang risk kung papapasukin sila sa eskwelahan,’’ he added. (We have to protect the children. They are still young and they will be at risk if they will attend classes.)
“Protektahan rin natin ang kapakanan ng mga guro. Kapag mayroon nang vaccine laban sa COVID-19, nagsabi ang Pangulo na uunahin rin sila kasama ang mga frontliners, pati mga mahihirap at nasa vulnerable na sector,’’ he explained. (We should also protect the welfare of the teachers. Once the vaccine is available, the President has said that the teachers and other frontliners will be prioritized along with the poor and the vulnerable sectors.)
His statement came after he personally led in the distribution of immediate assistance to flood-hit families in Cavite city.
Criticisms surfaced on the reluctance of the national government to allow physical classes to resume, while permitting cockpits and other recreational activities.
“’Wag n’yo pong ikumpara ang klase sa sabong. May necessary health protocols in place rin po doon… malaki pa po ang kinabukasan ng mga batang ito so unahin natin ang buhay ng bawat Pilipino, buhay ng bawat kabataan,’’ he said. (Please do not compare classes to cockfighting. There are necessary health protocols in place for that…the children has bigger future and we should prioritize the lives of every Filipino, the lives of the youth.)
While acknowledging the challenges of holding on-line classes, Go countered that one could not reopen schools and other educational institutions without the risk of exposing students, the school staff, and wider communities to the existing threats of the pandemic.
He explained that schools provide multiple opportunities for the spread of COVID-19, and prematurely reopening them could potentially undermine the gains made in the implementation of nearly year-long community quarantine measures.
“What if nagkaroon ng isang kaso? Panibagong problema na naman. Sususpinde na naman ang klase … panibagong contact tracing. Back to zero na naman tayo,’’ Go warned. (What if there will be a case? It’s going to be a new problem. We have to suspend the classes…another contact tracing. We will be ‘back to zero’ anew.)
“Basta, pag wala pang vaccine, wala munang face-to-face classes. ‘Yan po ang aking stand at mag-iingay ako pag ipatutupad nila ‘yan, kung wala pang vaccine,’’ he vowed. (No vaccine, no face-to-face classes. That is my stand and I will make noises if they will implement that sans the vaccine.)
President Duterte had previously expressed willingness to consider permitting physical classes in low-risk areas by January 2021.
However, he added that such a decision would require for a vaccine to be available.
The senator from Davao has been firm in his stance that any recommendation from the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases IATF-EID) and the Department of Education (DepEd) to allow face-to-face classes on a limited basis should only be done when all risks of exposure to sickness are eliminated.
“Aanhin po natin ang another year level, kung magkakasakit naman ang mga bata? Alam ninyo po, napakahirap po magkasakit ng COVID-19 sa panahong ito. Ni hindi ninyo po masasamahan o mabibisita ang pasyente sa ospital. Kaya huwag nating biglain. Unahin natin ang kalusugan ng bawat bata, kalusugan ng bawat Pilipino,’’ he said. (What is the use of another year level , if the children are sick? You know, It is hard to be infected with COVID-19 at this time. You cannot be with or visit the patient in the hospital. So, let us not rush. Let us prioritize the health of every child, the health of every Filipino.)
To help address the challenges caused by new teaching techniques through blended learning, Go had urged concerned agencies to work with DepEd and provide alternative, remote learning methods that can improve the delivery of education to students who have no internet connection.
He also called on the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and other concerned agencies to work together to fulfill the vision of providing better internet access that is affordable for all Filipinos.
“Let me reiterate po: no vaccine, no face-to-face as much as possible. Importante makapag-aral ang mga bata sa paraan na hindi sila mapipilitang ma-expose sa sakit. Ayaw kong mapunta sa bata ang burden. Ayaw ko ma-pressure ang estudyante na pumasok sa eskuwela tapos may banta naman sa kanilang kalusugan,’’ he explained. (It is important that the children can have their studies in a way that they are unnecessarily exposed to the disease. I don’t want the children to have the burden. I don’t want the students pressured to attend schools despite the threats to their health.)