President Rodrigo Duterte rejected anew the proposal of the Department of Education to resume face-to-face classes.

In his weekly address to the nation on Monday night, Duterte told Education Secretary Leonor Briones that it was not yet time to allow physical classes.

“Dito sa face-to-face, I think I am not inclined to agree with you. I’m sorry but mahirap. I cannot gamble on the health of the children. I hope you’d understand,” he said.

Briones accepted the President’s decision.

“We don’t have any reservations because we all know the effect, especially the idea, Mr. President of having our children vaccinated because we are told our children are now more prone and perhaps are vulnerable and we would not want to risk 27 million children and the teachers,” she said.

The DepEd chief previously said that if Duterte allows, around 300 schools may participate in the dry run of limited physical classes.