DAVAO CITY — Though limited, learners from a far-flung village of the Davao region go back to school and finally they interact with their teachers after almost two years due to the threat that the Coronavirus disease.
The Department of Education (DepEd) XI spokesperson Jenielito Atiilo said learners are back in Digaynon Integrated School, an extension school of Manurigao Integrated School situated in the far-flung area of sitio Danawan, Brgy.Manurigao, New Bataan in Davao de Oro.
Digaynon is one of the limited schools allowed by DepEd to open the limited face-to-face class starting November 15, this year.
The school has 19 learners from Kinder to Grade 3, school children were given school supplies and materials, face masks, alcohol, assorted notebooks, pencils, ball pens, crayons, assorted writing pads, tumblers, powdered milk, and hygiene kit were distributed to all these IP learners.
Digaynon Integrated School is 42 kilometers away from the district office.
Visiting the school has a limitation though, one has to stop at Sitio Biangonan with a distance of 30 kilometers through a motorcycle.
You need to ride a motorbike which costs you P1,500 for a one-way ride from Sitio Biangonan to Digaynon Integrated School.
Not only that, one has to walk 12-kilometers through the stiff terrain for at least three and a half-hour. It is geographically located at the borders of Davao de Oro and Davao Oriental.
Digaynon is just one of the over 100 schools nationwide allowed to open face-to-face class as the community remain Covid-free.
On Monday, President Rodrigo R. Duterte said he is pleased with the successful conduct of pilot limited face-to-face (F2F) classes in 28 public schools in Metro Manila.
Duterte said he is particularly glad that the return of students to campuses happened “gradually.”
“I’m glad that they have thought of this just dahan-dahan lang, huwag masyadong mabilis kasi (gradually, not too fast because of) just the better part of prudence,” he said in a pre-recorded public address.
He also assured that other schools would also be allowed to reopen after the conduct of pilot in-person classes is assessed.
“Do not be dismayed kung hindi sa inyo muna (if you were not allowed to reopen yet) because these are all experimental and pilot projects. Doon muna titignan natin kasi nandoon lahat yung resources ng government and yung mga official nandoon at makita kaagad at (This is where they will assess because the resources of the government are there and officials can easily visit and check on them immediately and) they can keep posted on what is happening,” he added.
In September, Duterte approved limited F2F classes in a maximum of 120 public and private schools in areas deemed low-risk for Covid-19.
Earlier on, Duterte repeatedly rejected proposals of the Department of Education (DepEd) for pilot F2F classes due to concerns of more infectious variants of Covid-19.
He, however, said he would consider allowing limited in-person classes in some areas seen to have low Covid-19 transmission.
DepEd has been authorized to issue safety seals to schools that will pass the agency’s assessment on the implementation of limited face-to-face classes.
The country began its nationwide rollout of pediatric vaccination last month following its pilot implementation in October.
To date, only Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been approved for pediatric inoculation.
