DepEd Naga to pilot face-to-face classes

By Jason B. Neola

The Office of the Schools Division Superintendent of the Department of Education (DepEd) in Naga City is now preparing its plan to pilot face-to-face classes in at least one public school.

This, after DepEd Supt. Mariano de Guzman took notice of the decreasing number of Covid-19 cases in the city. “At least, we are seeing the opportunity to meet two of the basic requirements set by the Department of Health (DOH) for the conduct of face-to-face learning delivery modality.”

The DepEd official said the government agency has ruled that the barangay where the pilot public school is located should have not recorded even a single case of Covid-19 within 28 days before the implementation of the traditional learning approach.

BIKES Mayor Legacion (left) and Schools Division Superintendent Mariano de Guzman show one of the 10 mountain bikes donated by the city government for teaching and non-teaching personnel of the Department of Education in the city during the celebration of the World Teachers’ Day last week. The bikes were awarded thru raffle draws. JBN/RAMIL HERRERA/CEPPIO

The DepEd’s division office in the city is eyeing the Teodora Moscoso Elementary School in Barangay Carolina as its pilot site for the face-to-face classes. As of Oct. 13, the barangay has registered only one case.

“The other condition is that the public school must be accessible to regular means of transportation, De Guzman said.

De Guzman is hoping that Covid-19 cases in Barangay Carolina will finally go to zero considering the Covid-19 responses being undertaken by the city government to contain the transmission of the virus.

The Naga City Contact Tracing and Monitoring Group has registered 30 cases on Oct. 9; 43 on Oct.10; 41 on Oct.11; and 41 on Oct. 12.