SOME 6,145 schools were ready to hold face-to-face classes as of February, the Department of Education said.

The Bicol and Zamboanga regions had the most schools ready for in-person classes with 845 each, followed by the Cordillera Administrative Region with 732.

Meanwhile, Eastern Visayas had the lowest number at 60. In Western Visayas, only 78 schools were ready to hold in-person classes.

As of March 2, 4,315 schools, including 76 private schools, have begun holding physical sessions, DepEd said.

As Metro Manila and other places transition to a “new normal” starting this month, DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones earlier said that the department will ease restrictions for in-person classes.

If all schools in the country are allowed to resume in-person classes, the National Economic Development Authority estimates that around P12 billion per week in economic activity will be generated.