THE DEPARTMENT of Education thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for the inclusion of basic education frontliners in the priority list of the government’s vaccination program.

“The Department of Education would like to thank President Rodrigo Duterte and the IATF for approving the appeal of Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones to finally include basic education frontliners in the A4 priority category of the National Deployment and Vaccination Plan,” the department said in a statement.

“As reiterated by the President, vaccination is a key component of any roadmap to the resumption of face-to-face classes. With the adjustment of vaccine prioritization (from B1 to A4) for basic education frontliners, we can speed up the rollout of vaccines among our teachers,” it added.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers also welcomed the news.

“Finally, the essential service of our education frontliners amid the pandemic is being recognized to merit health protection from the government,” Raymond Basilio, the group’s secretary general, said in a statement.