118 universities and colleges were allowed to hold limited face-to-face classes, according to CHED.
On Friday, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) announced that 118 universities and colleges nationwide have been allowed to hold limited face-to-face classes.
During the awarding of Certificate of Authority to reopen limited face-to-face classes in Mindoro Occidental, CHED Chairman Prospero De Vera III said in a virtual press conference that there were 118 higher education institutions (HEIs) that have been allowed to hold limited face-to-face in “medical and allied health sciences”.
According to De Vera, in July 2020, he discussed with the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) the need to allow higher education institutions that offered medicine and allied health science to hold limited face-to-face classes. It was last January when President Rodrigo Duterte approved the said proposal.
De Vera also said that the starting points of the higher education institutions may differ and the offering of limited face-to-face may depend on the readiness of the higher education institutions.
Nationwide, De Vera said that at least 13,000 students taking up selected allied health-related degree programs such as Nursing, Medicine, Medical Technology/Medical Laboratory Science, Midwifery, Physical Therapy, and Public Health were allowed to attend limited face-to-face classes.
In addition, De Vera said that the Commission on Higher Education really pushed for medicine and allied health sciences to belong to the “first batch” of students who can attend limited face-to-face classes in the country.
He also noted that there were two major reasons behind: allow students to achieve key learning outcomes on specialized laboratory courses and hospital-based clinical clerkship/practicum/internship and to provide “back-up” or additional manpower to hospitals.
Meanwhile, De Vera explained that higher education institutions have to apply first before they’re allowed to hold limited face-to-face classes.
“They have to retrofit their facilities to ensure the safety of the students and faculty,” De Vera said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Moreover, De Vera said that there were more than 400 applications received by the Commission.
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