Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" on Friday assured that he will also approve the proposals of other universities to hold limited face-to-face classes for medical and allied health science programs.
This, after he approved the proposal of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) to conduct limited face-to-face classes for its Medicine, Medical Technology, Physical Therapy, and Nursing programs.
Domagoso said the capital city has numerous universities that have medical and allied health science programs.
"Anybody na may medical school… malamang sa hindi, papayagan namin (Any university that has medical programs… more likely than not, we will allow them)," he said in an interview over ANC.
"As we know also, there is a need for the country to produce so much numbers of health workers or medical frontliners, particularly 'yung ating mga (our) doctors and nurses. Now, I think we cannot afford to miss a year without producing doctors and nurses and other medical professionals and we cannot just produce by having them graduate without the actual or the needed subjects, what we call our reviewers, practicum," he added.
President Duterte had earlier approved the Commission on Higher Education's (CHED) proposal to allow the holding of limited face-to-face classes for medical and allied health science programs.
This is to ensure that the country has enough doctors and other frontline health workers in the fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Manila mayor said he "trusts" the university to implement measures to ensure the students' safety during face-to-face classes.
Citing UST's plans, Domagoso said the students and faculty members will undergo reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing before they enter the university. Classes will be held at 50 percent capacity.
Those who do not wish to attend face-to-face classes will not be forced to do so, he added.
"I think they are responsible enough… to know all these things. And UST, also, there is a hospital at the school. I trust them," he said.
"Alam mo minsan sa leadership (You know, sometimes, in leadership), that gut feel. 'Okay, it's high time to adapt, to move on,'" he added.
UST said it will begin complying with the other requirements of CHED and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).