MANILA – Seventeen more Western Visayas-based public schools were approved by the Department of Education (DepEd) to participate in the pilot implementation of limited face-to-face (F2F) classes.
In a list released by DepEd on Thursday, 11 schools from Negros Occidental, two from Aklan, and one each from Antique, Iloilo province, Capiz, and Guimaras were added to the initial list of pilot implementers. These are as follows:
Negros Occidental
* Alangilan National High School (Bacolod City)
* Hiyang Hiyang Elementary School (Cadiz City)
* Mabini National High School (Escalante City)
* Raymund T. Tongson National High School (Himamaylan City)
* Valladolid National High School (Valladolid)
* Aguntilang Elementary School (Isabela)
* Colinia Divina Integrated School (Sagay City)
* Don Carlos Ledesma National High School (San Carlos City)
* Patag Diotay Elementary School (Silay City)
* Mauboy Elementary School (Sipalay City)
* Victorias National High School (Victorias City)
Aklan
* Malinao School for Philippine Craftsmen in Malinao
* Banga Elementary School in Banga
Also approved were the Antique National School in (San Jose, Antique), Mulapula National High School (Passi City, Iloilo), Olotayan Integrated School (Roxas City, Capiz), and Paaralan ng Buhay na Talas (Talas Elementary School) in Nueva Valencia, Guimaras.
According to DepEd, the said schools passed various “safety assessments” by the Department of Health (DOH) and their respective local government units (LGUs).
DepEd has yet to announce when is the start of the pilot run of F2F for the new batch.
Last month, Laserna Integrated School in Nabas, Aklan; Igsoro Elementary School School in Bugasong, Antique; and Mayabay Elementary School in Barbaza, Antique started implementing limited F2F classes.
Under the approved guidelines, Kindergarten classes will have 12 students while Grade 1 to 3 classes, 16 students. Technical vocation classes, meanwhile, can have as many as 20 students. Classes will last for three hours “maximum.”
DepEd was supposed to hold a dry run earlier this year but President Rodrigo Duterte cancelled this over fears of more infectious COVID-19 variants. It was again rejected in February as the country was yet to roll out its COVID-19 vaccination program at the time./PN
