MANILA—The Commission on Higher Education on Saturday released a set of guidelines for social distancing and hygiene, as the Philippines braced for the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

In an advisory issued Saturday, March 14, the CHED said educational institutions in Metro Manila, where a region-wide quarantine is now in effect, shall "abide by the directives of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the imposition of general and enhanced community quarantine in their respective jurisdictions."

One directive is the suspension of classes on all levels.

Metro Manila schools using the old academic calendar, or schools ending their academic years in March or April, are required to move or cancel their graduation ceremonies, citing the restriction on mass gatherings mandated by the Inter-agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Schools, which have shifted their academic calendar to June or July, do not need to postpone graduation ceremonies.

However, their semesters "may need to adjust as needed" to compensate for the month-long class suspensions.

Employees of educational institutions are also advised to practice social distancing.

Students who can't go to school for 30 days due to the quarantine should not be evicted from class, the CHED added.

Local government units could suspend classes as long as "measures and arrangements are in place to allow the students to continue fulfilling their requirements."

The CHED also urged schools outside Metro Manila to develop contingency plans, sanitize their facilities, and discourage mass gatherings. It also suggested that plans to go to overseas internship programs, along with participation in contests outside, should be suspended.

It likewise urged school administrators to practice "preventive measures such as proper hand hygiene, cough etiquette, and social distancing."