Duterte, Briones exhort students as classes virtually open

October 5, 2020

Philippine public and private schools opened Monday throughout the country virtually, without the huge throng of children singing the national anthem outside their classrooms.

At least 24.7 million Filipinos will be taught by a combination of learning modules and online classes as face-to-face classes have been made impossible by the COVID-19 pandemic.

''Today October 5 2020, we open our schools. Today we claim victory over the destroyer COVID-19. Let our classes begin,'' said Education Secretary Leonor Briones in her virtual address.

President Rodrigo Duterte, in a taped address, said: ''We now venture into distance and online learning. It is a challenging frontier. We wish you all the best in your academic journey.''

The Department of Education (DepEd) said public school students account for 22.502 million of total enrollees with private school students drawing 2.166 million. Students in alternative learning program are around 394,662.

Deped said 380,000 private school students transferred to public schools as most of them have closed or suspended operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some Metro Manila mayors have given schoolchildren tablets or laptops to enable them to follow their classes.

The Department of Education (DepEd) said classes in Occidental Mindoro pushed through despite a magnitude 5.4 earthquake in Looc at 2:16 am.

Education Undersecretary Tonisito Umali on Saturday said the total enrollees is short by around 10 percent of the 2019-2020 figures. He said Briones ordered DepEd officials to look for those children who could not enroll and coax them to do so.

Education Undersecretary Jesus Mateo on Monday said late enrollees will be accepted until November 21. DMS