President Rodrigo R. Duterte allowed the limited face-to-face classes for medical and allied programs in the country.
According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, this includes the higher educational institutions in Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) areas and higher educational institutions with hospitals that cater to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.
The directive is also in accordance with the recommendation of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
“Ito po ay para hindi tayo maubusan ng mga doktor.. At the time of pandemic, we need all the doctors we can have. (This is done so we will not run out of doctors… At the time of pandemic, we need all the doctors we can have),” Sec. Roque explained.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) initially permitted the limited face-to-face clinical internship at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine- Philippine General Hospital. – Report from Mela Lesmoras