CHED to allow more HEIs to hold limited face-to-face classes
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) will allow more Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) that offer medical and allied health sciences to conduct limited face-to-face classes amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
In a virtual press conference on Friday, March 12, CHED Chairman J. Prospero De Vera III said that at least five more HEIs are currently “under evaluation” before they will be allowed to hold limited in-person classes.
“There’s an ongoing evaluation for at least 5, we will to see if they are compliant with the guidelines set before they will be approved,” De Vera said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Among those under evaluation, De Vera said, include Far Eastern University, Perpetual Help, St. Luke's Medical Center College of Medicine and “two more in the regions.”
After getting the approval of President Duterte in January, De Vera noted that there were many HEIs that “signified their intent” to hold limited face-to-face classes.
“But they did not inform us yet on the schedule for visits, they are probably still coordinating with their respective local government units (LGUs),” he added.
The plan to hold limited face-to-face classes, De Vera said, started as early as July 2020. “We brought this up to the IATF and we recommended the holding of limited face-to-face classes as long health protocols and guidelines are observed,” he added.
De Vera said that the priority to hold limited in-person classes was given to students taking up medical and allied health sciences courses because “they were more health conscious so the probability of complying with standards” is much higher.
To date, De Vera said that six HEIs offering medical programs were already allowed to hold limited face-to-face classes namely the University of the Philippines-Manila (UP) and University of Santo Tomas (UST) both located in Manila; the Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU) in Valenzuela; the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center (UERM) in Quezon City; the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health in Pasig; and the St. Louis University in Baguio.