Once allowed by President Duterte and other concerned authorities, the Department of Education (DepEd) said that it will be ready to implement the pilot testing of limited face-to-face classes in select areas within a week.

DepEd Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado San Antonio, in a public briefing on March 5, said that the agency has been preparing for the pilot implementation of limited face-to-face classes for students at the basic education level.

“Kami po ay naghahanda, sabi nga po namin sa Senado, sa loob ng isang linggo kapag kami ay pinayagan, kakasa po at tatakbo na iyong limited face-to-face sa mga mauunang paaralang maa-identify namin na kuwalipikado o napasahan ng mga nilagay naming requirements para makapagbigay sila ng face-to-face sa mga bata. (We are preparing, as we told the Senate, within a week when we are allowed, we will be able to implement limited face-to-face in schools that we have identified as qualified or have passed our requirements so they can provide face-to-face to the children,” San Antonio explained.

As part of the Executive Branch, San Antonio said that DepEd will adhere to the mandate of the President.

Currently, conduct of face-to-face classes remains prohibited as directed by President Duterte.

“Ang sinasabi po natin, sana ang Pangulo ang gagawa ng desisyon kung kailan sasabihin na komportable na siya na magkaroon nang limited face-to-face kami ay handang sumunod sa mga gustong ipatupad ng ating Pangulo (What we are saying is that the President will decide when he will comfortable having limited face-to-face we are ready to follow what the President wants to implement),” he added.

In the meantime, San Antonio said that preparations are ongoing for the possible pilot implementation of limited face-to-face classes.

DepEd, he added, will ensure that the schools that will participate in the pilot run will be selected carefully.

DepEd officials also attended a Senate hearing on March 3 where the plans of the agency on the possible resumption of limited face-to-face classes were discussed.

San Antonio said that DepEd also received recommendations from the Senators on the pilot run such as ensuring a small number of participants and implementing this in areas with low or zero cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

As reported in the Senate, San Antonio noted that DepEd was able to find places where there were no recorded cases of COVID-19 in the past 30 days.

These places, he said, will be among the “priority” areas for the possible pilot run.