On Friday, Jan. 14, a group of education workers welcomed the decision of local offices of the Department of Education (DepEd) and various local government units (LGUs) to declare health breaks in their schools located in their respective areas.
“Nakikita natin ngayon ang mga tunay na may malasakit sa mga estudyante at kaguruan, samantalang ang iba ay nagmamatigas pa o nagdadalawang-isip na bigyan tayo ng kaunting ginhawa sa gitna ng pagkakasakit (We now see those who truly care about students and faculty, while others are still stubborn or hesitant to give us a little relief in the midst of illness),” Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines Secretary-General Raymond Basilio said.
In particular, ACT welcomed the health break orders released by local DepEd offices in Region IV-A, Rizal, Bulacan, Bataan; and the local governments of Manila, Pasig, and Sto. Domingo and Pio Duran in Albay to allow sick teachers and students to recover amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) surge.
Meanwhile, the group continued to call on the DepEd Central Office to “bring immediate relief to all those who need it” by directly issuing a two-week health break order for all areas under Level 3.