In 13 Cebu City schools: Face to face classes resume

CEBU, Philippines —  At least 13 schools in Cebu City returned to face-to-face classes starting May 16, 2022 and another batch is expected to go back to campus by month’s end.

The 13 schools were supposed to start in March but schools then had to be fixed after incurring damage during Typhoon Odette in December 2021. The Omicron-driven surge in the first quarter of 2022 also made officials think twice.

The national and local elections on May 9 pushed plans further down the road, as schools were used as voting precincts.

To get the safety seal to hold physical classes, the barangay where the school is located should be COVID-free for at least two months.

Luckily, all 13 schools are located in COVID-free areas.

The schools are Sibugay Integrated School, Pamutan Integrated School, Mangabon Elementary School, Cantipla Integrated School, Tabunan Integrated School, Sinsin Elementary and National High School, Dr.Emilo Osmeña Sr. Integrated School,

Lusaran National High School, Tagbao National High School, Taptap Integrated School, Adlaon Integrated School, and Bitlang Integrated School.

“Atong trese ka eskwelahan nagsugod na sa atong limited face-to-face gahapon (May 16)… Three elementary schools, upat ka junior high, and six ka senior high,” said Bernadette Susvilla, the new DepEd-Cebu City Assistant Superintendent.

She said the return to physical classes was successful and children could not be more excited to meet their classmates again.

“Successful ang opening... I was there… nilahos gyud ko sa mga eskwelahan… Nindot kaayo ang dagan kay ang mga bata lipay kaayo sila nga for the first time for this school year, nabalik sila sa atong mga eskwelanan,” Susvilla said.

Teachers, on the other hand, were in full force that even those not holding physical classes worked in committees to help ensure classes were smooth and safe.

“Teachers, full force sila… Kung wala sila sulod sa eskwelahan, naa silay mga committees nga gi-handle… triage, safety,” Susvilla said.

Learners vaccinated against COVID-19 are given priority to attend in-person classes. Those unvaccinated continue with online, offline mode of learning.

More Schools

With the successful opening of the 13 schools, DepEd-Cebu City looks forward to opening 37 more schools on May 30, and more schools after that, until all schools can return to physical classes before the school-year ends on July 7.

DepEd-Cebu City Supt., Dr. Rhea Mar Angtud, said the conduct of limited face-to-face classes also serves as ‘diagnostics’ before the actual return of full-blown physical classes in schools.

“Mura ni siya’g diagnostic in nature... Gusto ta mo-diagnose unsay mga issues and concerns inig ka full-blown na ang face-to-face,” Angtud said.

The limited in-person classes will be conducted for at least two weeks and schools are given a free hand in deciding whether or not to extend until such time that enough data is collected for DepEd to come up with an evaluation.

Aside from the face-to-face classes, DepEd-Cebu City also gearing up for the return of physical end-of-school year rites after missing it in the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based on DepEd’s guidelines, only schools under alert levels 1 and 2 will be allowed to do physical end-of-school year rites, which is either a moving up ceremony or a graduation ceremony. – Decemay P. Padilla, JMO (FREEMAN)