THERE were no reported Covid-19 cases for the duration of the limited face-to-face (F2F) classes from November 15 to December 17, 2021.
National Economic and Development Authority (Neda)-Davao Regional Director Maria Lourdes Lim said there were no Covid-19 cases reported in all nine participating schools in the region.
“The Department of Education (DepEd)-Davao reports that there were no reported cases of Covid-19 infection during the duration of its limited F2F pilot implementation and no school in the region implemented lockdown during the said implementation,” said Lim during a virtual press conference on Monday, February 7.
The nine participating schools reported an overall attendance rate of 91 percent, while public and private schools also reported a high attendance rate of 87 percent and 94 percent, respectively.
Department of Education (DepEd)-Davao Regional Director Allan Farnazo said there were no reports of sickness other than those caused by the changing weather in the region.
“Ang percentage ng attendance, very encouraging in fact, at hanggang sa ngayon gusto naming ipaabot sa lahat na wala tayong mga sakit na caused by Covi,” said Farnazo.
(The high percentage of attendance is very encouraging. We also want everyone to know that we have no sickness caused by the Covid-19 disease.)
Meanwhile, DepEd-Davao also announced that 186 schools across the region would have reopened Tuesday for the expansion of F2F classes, but with the implemented Alert Level 3 status in many parts of Davao, the reopening of schools have been delayed.
Farnazo clarified that qualified schools will automatically open once the alert level status reverts to level two or lower, similar to how schools would also automatically suspend F2F classes during alert level three status or higher.
“Itong 186 na mga paaralan, ready na mag bukas ngunit, sinusunod natin ang health alert level at alam naman ng lahat pag alert level three, automatic suspended ang F2F classes,” said Farnazo.
(The 186 schools were ready to open, but we adhere to the health alert level implemented and we all know that during alert level three, F2F classes are automatically suspended.)
“Other modality ay patuloy kagaya ng radio-based, television-based, at modular,” he said.
(Other modes of learning will continue such as radio-based, television-based, and modular learning.)
There would have been 46 schools in Davao Occidental, 35 schools in Davao del Sur, 23 schools with one private school in Davao de Oro, 16 schools in Davao Oriental, four in Davao del Norte that were supposed to open for the F2F expansion.
Also included were five schools in Davao City, ten schools with six private schools in Digos City, 20 schools in the Island Garden City of Samal, 21 schools in Tagum City, five schools in Panabo City, and one school in Mati City.
According to Farnazo, the schools are still pending endorsement to the involved local government units for the compliance of the safety school assessment.
“Yung safety school assessment tool na ginagamit natin na checklist para pag check kung ang paaralan ay ready, based sa joint memorandum agreement ng DepEd, DOH, at ng Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG),” said the DepEd regional director.
(We use the safety school assessment tool as a checklist to assess if schools are ready. It is based on the joint memorandum of DepEd, DOH, and DILG.)
The pilot run of the limited F2F classes in 2021 included one private school in Davao City, five schools in Davao de Oro, and three schools in Davao del Sur.