HEIs, which can offer full online education, allowed to open any time, Palace says

May 14, 2020

Higher education institutions in the country, which can offer full online education, are allowed to start their classes anytime, Malacañang said on Thursday.

In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has adopted the recommendation of the Commission on Higher Education regarding the guidelines in the opening of classes by universities and colleges.

He said the opening of classes would be based on the "education delivery mode."

"This means, if (the HEIs) use full online education, they can open (classes) anytime," Roque said.

For HEIs using flexible learning, he said they could start their classes anytime in August.

For those which significantly use face-to-face or in person mode, they can open their classes not earlier than September in places under the general community quarantine, he said.

Roque said the private HEIs are also allowed to change their academic calendar and to open their classes in August.

"CHED will continue with the review of the conditions and dialogue with the higher educational institutions," he said.

The government has suspended the holding of face-to-face classes since March to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease in the country. Celerina Monte/DMS