MANILA (UPDATED) -- The Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) will gradually return to face-to-face classes starting January 2022, the university said in a Facebook post.

The pilot run of in-person classes will be done in phases, beginning with students in the college (Loyola Schools) and postgraduate (Professional Schools) levels.

Classes for graduating students will be prioritized, Ateneo said.

A separate announcement will be made for the Basic Education schools (senior high school, junior high school, and grade school) in due time, the Jesuit-run university said in a statement.

The school also said that all employees and guests entering their campuses should be fully vaccinated.

"Strict safety and health protocols are in place to protect the Ateneo community. All employees and guests entering our campuses (Loyola Heights, Rockwell, Pasig, and Salcedo) should be fully vaccinated, or undergo the appropriate COVID-19 testing required by government regulations," Ateneo said.

Ateneo said the campus will also be gradually opened to allow other academic activities such as research, teacher consultation, and counseling and psychological services.

Prior to this, the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health also started conducting limited on-site classes in the Ortigas, Pasig campus in January 2021.

Ateneo's announcement comes after the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Against COVID-19 allowed a 50 percent capacity for limited face to face classes in all degree programs in areas under Alert Level 2.

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The Department of Education (DepEd), meanwhile, has allowed more than 100 schools to hold a pilot run of limited face-to-face classes with strict health protocols in place.

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