By Cleizl Pardilla
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has confirmed that the conduct of limited face-to-face classes in Higher Education Institutions continue in areas not under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).
Earlier CHED Chairman J. Prospero De Vera III has approved 24 universities and colleges to re-open for the 2nd semester of Academic Year (AY) 2020-2021 after having fully complied with the CHED-DOH guidelines and having been inspected by CHED.
But De Vera clarified some HEIs located in the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus Bubble that were given the green light to conduct limited actual classes have temporarily stopped.
“Ang 24 [HEIs] ay na-approved na ‘yan ay mula noong January pa iyan noong pumayag ang Pangulo. ‘Yung limited face-to-face sa medicine and allied sciences sa buong Pilipinas ‘yan. ‘Yong mga eskwelahan na nasa NCR at sa karatig lugar na mataas ang incidence (ng Covid-19 cases), bago pa mag-issue ang IATF ng ECQ ay tinigil na nila (The 24 [HEIs] were approved in January when the President gave the go signal. These are the limited face-to-face [classes] in Medicine and Allied Sciences all over the Philippines.0”
Students’ health, priority
De Vera also assured that students’ health and safety are prioritized in areas where limited face-to-face classes are conducted. “Pag may nag-positive, automatic ititgil [ang klase] (If someone would test positive, the [class] will automatically stop).”
CHED emphasized that minimum health standards are implemented, citing zero transmission of COVID-19 within two months of implementing limited face-to-face classes at the University of the Philippines- Manila.
“Kung susundin ang guidelines, ligtas ang mga estudyante. ‘Yung preperasyon na ginagawa ng mga eskwelahan ay tama at ang koordinasyon sa local government ay tama. Ang sinasabi ko ‘wag po tayong mag-alala sa mga magulang at estudyante na naglilimited face-to-face (If guidelines are followed, students are safe. The preparations being done by schools are right and the coordination with the local government is right. What I am saying is that there is no need to worry for parents and students who go for limited face-to-face [classes]).”
Skeletal workforce in HEIs under ECQ
In connection with the implementation of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Resolution Number 106-A, De Vera has issued new working guidelines regarding the skeletal workforce for universities and colleges in areas under ECQ by identifying essential personnel which includes:
- Essential administrative services- include workers in charge of payroll, salaries, and employee assistance, IT administrators, accounting staff, and security personnel
- Essential academic services- teachers and faculty who rely or depend on the internet connectivity, engineering and technology laboratories in their institutions for facilitating online classes of students;
- Essential academic administration services- registrars and other academic administrators in charge of grades, assessment, and student credentialing in preparation for completion of the academic year or semester.
Meanwhile private educational institutions are only allowed to deploy skeletal workforce when work from home arrangements are not possible. They should also comply with all applicable rules of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on work arrangements during ECQ, and relevant IATF Guidelines on health and safety protocols.
HEIs as vaccination facilities
As of press time, CHED is now coordinating with the health department on how they can use these 24 universities which were able to retrofit their facilities for the expanded vaccination facilities by the government.
“Double purpose ang pag-retrofit ng mga campuses. Hindi lamang para makapag limited face-to-face ang mga bata para tumulong din sa vaccination drive ng government (Retrofitting of campuses has a double purpose. This is not only meant for the youngsters’ limited face-to-face [classes] but to help in the government’s vaccination drive as well),” De Vera disclosed.
