NABAS, Aklan – Officials in this municipality believe that bringing children to schools is safer than seeing them in malls.
Mayor James Solanoy, in a press conference streamed live by the Department of Education (DepEd) Region 6, hoped that the pilot implementation of the limited face-to-face classes would expand to the entire town.
Nabas hosts the Laserna Integrated School in Barangay Laserna, one of the three pilot schools for limited face-to-face classes in Western Visayas.
Solanoy said he had seen children in Manila but he believed they’re more safer in school.
“Nabas is a COVID-19-free community,” he stressed.
Barangay Laserna punong barangay Junefer Flores said it is a pity to see children only in their homes and learn nothing.
He urged for prayers that the pilot implementation will be 100 percent successful so that schools in the province of Aklan and the whole of Western Visayas will eventually open.
“Ang ibang lugar ngayon nasa mall na ang mga kabataan. Pero mas safe sila kung ilagay sa sila sa school kasi ang mga teachers ay fully vaccinated, ang minimum health standards nasusunod at tinuturuan pa sila,” he said.
Data from DepEd-6 showed 224 learners composed of 48 from Kindergarten; 64 from Grade 1; 58 from Grade II and 54 from Grade III of the 793 population of Laserna Integrated School are joining the pilot implementation.
Over a hundred of the learners for the pilot grades belong to the Indigenous Peoples (IP) community.
Of the school’s 30 personnel, both teaching and non-teaching, 27 are fully vaccinated and the three others are waiting for their second dose.
To ensure the successful implementation, the school has installed a triage at the entrance of the school.
Before proceeding to their classrooms, learners need to have their temperature checked and needed to sanitize their hands.
Plastic barriers are installed in between chairs to ensure safe physical distancing.
DepEd regional director Ramir Uytico said that in addition to Laserna, two more schools in Antique are participating in the limited face-to-face classes. These are the Igsoro Integrated School in Bugasong, Antique and Mayabay Primary School in Barbaza, Antique. (PNA)
