After around two years of graduations attended by graduates and their proud families via Zoom or Google Meet, in-person graduation and end-of-school year (EOSY) rites are making a comeback. Though it will not return to pre-pandemic times as new Covid variants are still in the air, the Department of Education (DepEd) has already allowed schools to host such ceremonies with some reminders to note and limitations in place. DepEd Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado San Antonio, in an interview, said that just like in previous graduation and EOSY rites before the pandemic, the ceremonies should be conducted solemnly. “It should not be excessively grand, should be dignified and simple,” he said. With this, the DepEd issued Memorandum No. 43 last May 10, 2022, setting the guidelines on the conduct of graduation rites in basic education. The set-up, DepEd said, may be a “hybrid ceremony” where a limited number of participants will be allowed to physically attend the event while the remaining ones will attend the event online or via live streaming. Should the school choose to hold hybrid ceremonies, DepEd said that they must consult their respective LGUs first as well as the parents of the attendees. “Schools must obtain parental consent for learners to attend the face-to-face ceremony,” the department said. During the conduct of the limited in-person ceremonies, DepEd stressed the need to follow health protocols, such as the wearing of face masks throughout the entire event, implementing a one-meter physical distancing between individuals, sitting on assigned seats only, and discouraging any form of handshake or physical contact. Only the parents or one designated guardian shall be permitted to accompany a candidate for graduation. Since the present school year will conclude on June 24, graduation and EOSY rites may be held from June 27 to July 2. For schools who had to suspend classes due to the surge in Covid cases in their areas, the DepEd said that they can adjust their academic calendars, and hold the graduation rites between July 4 and 9 instead. Early this year after the surge in Omicron-variant cases and the eventual gradual drop in new infections, Education Secretary Leonor Briones was hopeful that schools could open for limited in-person classroom sessions, which also means that schools could also conduct face-to-face graduation rites. “We hope that during the graduation season, we will not receive negative news about the pandemic so that the chance for in-person graduation rites will also be possible,” Briones said. This move by the DepEd is commendable as these in-person rites, implemented with strict health protocols, will give students and their families a semblance of normalcy and a sense of fulfillment. This batch of graduates deserves some “reward” after they underwent a series of challenges posed by the pandemic, most especially with their experience regarding the abrupt shift to online learning. Whether they have learned something or not during the pandemic months remains to be seen, but as of the moment, allow the new graduates to cherish some form of freedom, to see their classmates once again, to personally thank their teachers who they have only seen on the screen, and to feel what’s it like to be rewarded for a job well done.