SINCE Bacolod City maintained its Alert Level 1 status and some schools also applied for the conduct of limited face-to-face (F2F) classes, holding of in-person graduation rites may also be permitted.
Councilor Renecito Novero, chairperson of the City Council Committee on education, urged both public and private schools to apply to conduct in-person graduation rites this year.
If the Department of Education (DepEd) allowed the conduct of the limited F2F classes, the official said they will also possibly allow the F2F graduation rites.
"There's no rational ground to deny the conduct of the in-person graduation rites," he said.
As to the application for the limited F2F classes of 10 public schools in Bacolod, Novero said they already endorsed it to the Emergency Operations Center-Task Force (EOC-TF) for approval.
"The DepEd National Office already allowed them to conduct limited F2F classes and they only need the approval of the local government units," he said.
These schools included Apolinario Mabini Elementary School; Cabug National High School; Negros Occidental High School; Emilia J. Garcia Elementary School; Romanito Maravilla Jr. National High School; Handumanan Elementary School I; Luis Hervias National High School; Rafael Alunan Elementary School; Teofilo M. Gensoli National High School; and Alberto D. Arceo Sr. Elementary School.
"We are expecting that the EOC will approve it because it's a nationwide program of the DepEd and once they will be approved, the school can also make their own arrangement or schedule for the conduct of limited F2F classes," Novero said.
In February, DepEd-Bacolod resumed its limited F2F classes in Alangilan National High School in Barangay Alangilan.
"Since last week, Bacolod City recorded single-digit Covid-19 cases or even zero cases so we don't have any reason to disapprove their request," Novero said.