Local officials in the municipality of Nabas in Aklan believed that bringing children to schools is safer than seeing them in malls.
Nabas Mayor James Solanoy, in a press conference streamed live by the Department of Education- Western Visayas (DepEd-WV) on Monday, said he hoped that after the pilot implementation of the limited face-to-face classes, it will be expanded and become unlimited in their entire municipality.
Nabas hosts the Laserna Integrated School in Barangay Laserna identified as among the three pilot schools for the limited face-to-face classes in Western Visayas.
He said he has been seeing children inside malls in Manila but he believed that they are safer when they are in school.
“Today in Nabas, we are a Covid-19-free community,” he said.
Barangay Laserna Punong Barangay Junefer Flores said it is a pity to see children only in their homes where they learn nothing.
He urged for prayers that the pilot implementation will be 100 percent successful so that schools in the province of Aklan and the whole of Western Visayas will eventually open.
“Ang ibang lugar ngayon nasa mall na ang mga kabataan. Pero mas safe sila kung ilagay sa sila sa school kasi ang mga teachers duon ay fully vaccinated, ang minimum health standard nasusunod at tinuturuan pa sila. Safe na sila duon and matututo pa (In other areas, children are already in malls. But they will be safer when they are in school because teachers there are fully vaccinated. The minimum health standards are followed and they are being tutored. They are safe there while at the same time they learn),” he said.
Data from DepEd-WV showed that 224 learners composed of 48 from Kindergarten; 64 from Grade 1; 58 from Grade II and 54 from Grade III of the 793 population of the Laserna Integrated School are joining the pilot implementation.
Over a hundred of the learners for the pilot grades belong to the Indigenous Peoples (IP) community.
Of the school’s 30 personnel, both teaching and non-teaching, 27 are fully vaccinated and the three others are waiting for their second dose.
To ensure the successful implementation, the school has installed a triage at the entrance of the school.
Before proceeding to their classrooms, learners need to have their temperature checked and needed to sanitize their hands.
Plastic barriers are installed in between chairs to ensure safe physical distancing.
DepEd Assistant Secretary for Alternative Learning System (ALS) Program G.H. Ambat, in her message, expressed her gratitude to the local government units, and the community for their trust and confidence in the department.
She hoped that the cooperation will continue so they can already expand to more schools.
Regional Director Ramir B. Uytico of the Department of Education (DepEd) said that in addition to Laserna, two more schools in Antique are participating in the limited face-to-face classes.
These are the Igsoro Integrated School in Bugasong town and Mayabay Primary School in Barbaza. (PNA)
