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MANILA — Public schools on Wednesday implemented the mandatory return to full face-to-face classes following 2 years of blended and distance learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Metro Manila, 94 percent of 827 public schools have returned to 5 days of in-person classes at full capacity, Department of Education spokesperson Michael Poa said in a message.

DepEd continues to monitor other regions, he said.

Private schools are allowed to continue blending learning beyond Nov. 2 the DepEd earlier said.

• DepEd allows private schools to continue distance, blended learning beyond Nov. 2

EXCEPTIONS

Poa said some public schools also asked for exemption to the full in-person class policy, including those that were damaged by the recent typhoons and earthquakes.

Learners from schools which suffered infrastructure or flood damage or are still being used as evacuation centers will continue their lessons through modules, he said.

"Magbibigay tayo ng modules na sasagutin sa bahay, tapos kapag maayos na ang paaralan, nalinis na ang mga nabaha, sila ay babalik na sa in-person classes," Poa told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo.

(We will give modules that will be answered at home, and once schools are cleaned, they can go back to in-person classes.)

• 261 schools damaged by Paeng: DepEd

DepEd reported that some 200 schools were affected while 400 classrooms were damaged by severe tropical storm Paeng, which unleashed floods and landslides in many parts of the country last weekend.

"'Yan pong numero na 'yan, preliminary pa lang, patuloy pa po ang assessment on the ground, talagang malaking pinsala ang nadulot ng bagyong Paeng sa atin," Poa said.

(Those figures are still preliminary; on-ground assessment continues. We know that the damage caused by Paeng is heavy.)

Poa admitted that delivering modules to areas heavily affected by Paeng would be challenging, and committed to coordinate with the agency's field operations group and regional directors to better strategize distribution.

SHIFTING

Class "shifting" will continue for schools with large student populations, to help ensure minimum COVID-19 safeguards are observed, Poa said.

"Ang nakikitang strategy lalo sa NCR at Calabarzon area ay magshi-shifting pa rin po tayo," he said.

(The strategy we can use especially for the NCR and Calabarzon area is to have class shifting.)

• Cabinet in talks about allowing blended learning beyond November: Sara Duterte

Student congestion and limited classrooms remain a problem for DepEd and could be aggravated by recent calamities, said the official.

"'Yan ang natatawag natin na quicksand, 'yung meron na po tayong backlogs, hindi lang sa Paeng, pati sa nakaraang lindol, pati sa bagyong Odette. Nagpapatung-patong po siya, hindi pa natin nareresolba lahat tapos biglang may bagong kalamidad," Poa said.

(It's like a quicksand. We have repair backlogs not just from Paeng, from the past earthquake, and from Typhoon Odette. The problems pile up; we haven't yet recovered from previous calamities, and another comes along.)

• Sara Duterte says classroom shortage a 'quicksand' problem, gov't should innovate

MASKING

Meanwhile, the DepEd on Tuesday said it would follow a recent Malacañang order allowing the mandatory use of face masks in indoor settings.

"Schools may immediately implement optional masking indoors," Poa said.

• DepEd allows optional use of face masks in classrooms

But Poa also acknowledged that teachers and students are already used to wearing face masks, based on DepEd's inspection of several schools on Wednesday morning.

A group that advocates for teacher’s rights, the Action and Solidarity for the Empowerment of Teachers-NCR (ASSERT), prefers the continued use of masks inside classrooms despite eased rules, said its president Sheila Lim Manuel.

— With reports from Joyce Balancio, Arra Perez, and Wena Cos, ABS-CBN News