The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines called the national government’s continuous “neglect” to the needs of educators and learners as “disheartening.”

It said that amid the implementation of face-to-face classes, many educators and learners are still suffering from the aftermath of calamities that ravaged the Philippines.

One of these calamities was tropical cyclone Odette, which barreled through the country in December 2021, affecting over 2 million families and damaging thousands of schools.

ACT Philippines chairperson Vladimer Quetua said the schools destroyed by Odette have been “abandoned” for almost a year now, adding that despite their countless demands and requests, the national government has yet to map out their “concrete plans” to address the issue.

“It is very disheartening that while our teachers and learners see the importance of 100 percent face-to-face classes, we cannot implement it fully, or we are placed in less ideal situations,” he said on Monday, Nov. 7.

These problems, according to Quetua, hinder the ongoing implementation of in-person classes, particularly in Central Visayas, as well as Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas, and regions in Mindanao.

Meanwhile, Department of Education spokesperson Michael Poa, on Monday, Nov. 7, disclosed that 97.5 percent of public schools nationwide have now resumed in-person classes.