The Taguig City government said schools are ready for the implementation of the pilot face-to-face classes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The City of Taguig supports the position that all schools who have been capacitated to properly and safely conduct face-to-face classroom sessions should be allowed to resume operations,” it said in a statement.
Amid the resumption of face-to-face classes in some areas, and the possible resumption of classes in the tertiary level, Taguig is encouraging “our public and private school administrators to adapt the implementation of the infection control and mitigation strategies, as recommended in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine published in 5 February 2021, entitled "Healthier schools during the COVID-19 pandemic: ventilation, testing and vaccination.”
One recommendation is that “classrooms and facilities to be used must have proper ventilation and air filtration. The virus is transmitted via droplets, and evidence shows that properly ventilated rooms greatly increases the time for droplets to naturally fall to the ground and reduces the chance of transmission to the occupants of the room. The use of plastic barriers is discouraged as it affects ventilation and retains the respiratory particles in one place.”
Teachers and school staff must be fully vaccinated, the city said, as “vaccination offers the best protection against the virus. In order to protect the students. especially the minors, everyone eligible to be vaccinated within the school premises must be prioritized.”
Taguig said it can accommodate teachers and staff who want to get vaccinated immediately.
“Teachers and school staff must undergo regular testing. Students with any COVID-related symptoms must be sent home immediately and tested accordingly. Regular testing can help support a more effective and timely system of trace, test, isolate and support. Checking of symptoms prior to entry, including temperature tests at school entrances, could decrease the risk of transmission in the wider school community,” Taguig added.
According to the city government, “These recommendations must be combined with other infection control measures, such as the wearing of face masks. frequent handwashing, and regular sanitation of surfaces.”
Last September, the Department of Education (DepEd) chose Taguig as one of the pilot cities in Metro Manila for face-to-face classes once the government allows this.
In a Facebook post, George Tizon, head of the Taguig education office, the DepEd-Taguig-Pateros office submitted two public schools in Taguig for the pilot implementation of face-to-face classes.
These are the Sen. Renato Companero Cayetano Memorial Science & Technology High School and R.P. Cruz Elementary School.
In addition, four international schools in Bonifacio Global City have been submitted for the face-to-face classes: International School Manila, British International School, Manila Japanese School and Chinese International School Manila.