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MANILA - Some private schools are having "survival issues" due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with parents losing jobs and overseas workers returning home, the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) said Friday.

At least 5 to 6 members of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines are temporarily closing this year, director Jose Allan Arellano told ANC.

CEAP has 1,484 school-members in the country.

Schools have to impose cost-cutting and other measures to continue operating such as borrowing money and laying off employees while reducing tuition to enable children to enroll, Arellano said.

"Yes we have survival issues but we’re adjusting to these issues," Arellano said.

"The real problem here is economic, because of the lockdowns, the parents are not working, they cannot send their children to school. Private schools are surviving using tuition collection, if parents cannot send their children to school, they are really lacking students and support for operations," he added.

According to government data some 30 percent of students with private education won't be able to enroll this year and around 440 schools won't be operating.

The Department of Education approved a blended learning method for students this year while waiting for a COVID-19 vaccine and reducing face-to-face interaction.

Public schools will open on Oct. 5.

• DepEd delays opening of classes to Oct. 5