MANILA – Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chair J. Prospero de Vera III confirmed on Wednesday that higher education institutions (HEIs) in areas under Alert Level 3 may start conducting limited face-to-face (F2F) classes on January 31 depending on Covid-19 situations.
Following this, the CHED released an advisory Tuesday night stating that HEIs located in Alert Level 3 areas can begin implementing limited physical classes for all degree programs by the end of the month.
Netizens criticized the advisory because Covid-19 cases continue to rise across the country.
In a televised interview, de Vera stated that the earliest probable date for HEIs to begin classes is January 31.
“Hopefully, by January 31, you have a better grip on the data, makikita natin kung pababa na [ang Covid cases]. Kung mabagal ang pagbaba, ang magiging desisyon dapat nila ay mag-adjust doon sa (if the Covid cases are going down. If the downtrend is slow, the HEIs decisions should adjust according to) conditions on the ground,” he said.
Several public universities in the National Capital Region have delayed the start of their physical classes until next month despite being under Alert Level 3 until January 15 only, he noted.
HEIs in the Eastern Visayas and Caraga regions have delayed the start of classes as they recover from the devastation caused by Typhoon Odette in December of last year.
In November 2021, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases approved “phased” limited in-person classes for all degree programs.
It permitted HEIS in areas under Alert Level 2 to conduct physical classes beginning December.
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