CHED approves limited face-to-face classes in 24 colleges and universities

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has approved limited face-to-face classes for 24 colleges and universities in the Philippines starting on the second semester of school year 2020-2021.

The agency's chairperson Prospero de Vera III said in a statement that the educational establishments have fully complied with the guidelines set by the CHED, the Department of Health, and the COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID). 

Here are the colleges and universities included in the list: 

1. Mariano Marcos State University - Batac (Region I)
2. St. Louis University (Cordillera Administrative Region)
3. Our Lady of Fatima University - City of San Fernando (Region III) 
4. Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health (National Capital Region-NCR)
5. University of Santo Tomas (NCR)
6. University of East Ramon Magsaysay (NCR)
7. Our Lady of Fatima University - Quezon City (NCR)
8. Our Lady of Fatima University - Valenzuela City (NCR)
9. Manila Central University (NCR)
10. University of the Philippines-Manila (NCR)
11. Adventist University of the Philippines (Region IV)
12. De La Salle Health and Medical Science Institute (Region IV)
13. University of Perpetual Help - Don Jose (Region IV)
14. Our Lady of Fatima University - Sta. Rosa (Region IV)
15. Naga College Foundation (Region V)
16. West Visayas State University (Region VI)
17. Central Philippine University (Region VI)
18. Cebu Institute of Medicine (Region VII)
19. University of Cebu School of Medicine (Region VII)
20. Iloilo Doctors’ College of Medicine (Region VI)
21. University of Iloilo (Region VI)
22. Blancia Foundation College, Inc. (Region IX)
23. Xavier University (Region X)
24. Liceo de Cagayan University (Region X)

“They can now bring their 3^rd and 4^th year students for hands-on training and laboratory classes in a limited face-to-face system,” he declared. “CHED will continue to monitor these HEIs (Higher Education Institutions) and I am confident that they will provide safe and healthy spaces for their students in the coming months.” 

Such decision prioritizing those under health-related degree programs like Medicine, Nursing, Medical Technology/Medical Laboratory Science, Physical Therapy, Midwifery, and Public Health “would enable students to achieve key learning outcomes on specialized laboratory courses and hospital-based clinical clerkship/internship/practicum" and "provide additional manpower to the country’s health system.”

Additionally, the organization is asking local government units to make academic personnel and students part of the vaccination list, should they assist in immunization drives.

“This is also the reason why President Duterte approved limited face-to-face classes—because our HEIs can help in the government’s vaccination program,” said de Vera. “As the country looks forward to receiving the next batch of millions of donated and procured vaccines in the 2nd quarter of the year, we must maximize the use of large alternative venues to be readily available so that the priority groups (essential workers, seniors, the indigents) could be inoculated without further delay."

Article thumbnails from CHED's Facebook page