SENATOR Christopher ‘Bong’ Go on Friday reminded school officials and educators to follow health protocols issued by the Department of Education and Department of Health as schools transition back to in-person teaching.

The chairman of the Senate Committee on Health recognized the devastating effect of the prolonged school closures and stressed the need to balance education requirements and the broader health concerns of the public.

He called on schools to improve their ventilation and ensure physical distancing of at least one to two meters. The proper use of masks and hand hygiene routines should be observed in school premises, he said.

“We will take this one step at a time so that we can protect the safety of our students. Huwag natin biglain and let us assess what happens. Kahit ayaw nating maantala ang klase nila, importanteng safe ang mga estudyante,” Go said.

“Health and safety pa rin ang importante. Sa kagustuhan nating makapag-aral ang mga bata, ‘wag natin kalimutan na unahin palagi ang interes, kapakanan at buhay nila at ng bawat Pilipino,” he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte approved the recommendation of DepEd to expand the implementation of face-to-face classes in areas under Alert Levels 1 and 2.

To be able to hold physical classes, schools need to pass the assessment of the DepEd and the DoH, must have the permit of their local government units and the consent of parents or guardians of students.

Classes will be automatically suspended in areas under Alert Level 3.