BY MAE SINGUAY and DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Citing safety and health concerns of students and school personnel amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, local officials in this capital city and in Negros Occidental seek to postpone the opening of the school year slated in August.
Yesterday, the city council passed a resolution urging the Department of Education (DepEd) through its chief Secretary Leonor Briones to defer the opening of classes of schools under its jurisdiction beyond the scheduled date.
Councilor Renecito Novero, author of the resolution, said DepEd should avoid classes which practice face-to-face scheme of instruction until the threat of COVID-19 considerably subsides.
Meanwhile, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, head of the City Inter-Agency Task Force COVID-19 appealed to the Deped to consider online learning in case they want to open the classes.
“Better be safe than sorry,” Familiaran stressed.
For his part, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, said he is against DepEd’s move to resume classes in August this year.
In a press conference on Wednesday morning, Lacson said he would prefer that the opening of classes be postponed for at least a year until a vaccine or cure against the coronavirus disease or Covid-19 is widely available.
“For me, one year of rest is not so bad. At least, it is safer by then, hopefully there is already a vaccine and cure,” Lacson said.
He further added everyone should always practice caution and play it safe in order to avoid contracting the virus.
Based on the DepEd’s proposal, school year 2020-2021 was supposed to begin on Aug. 24. Classes may be conducted both physically and virtually depending on the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The proposal also included the end of the school year on April 30, 2021, along with the cancellation of the Palarong Pambansa and Schools Press Conference./PN
