MANILA Mayor Honey Lacuna yesterday went around several public elementary and high schools in the city with the biggest student population to observe the flow of the first day of face-to-face classes and see what areas may be improved, as she once again urged parents to have their kids vaccinated for added protection.
Lacuna announced that the city government made extra preparations for the said classes such as assigning isolation rooms for those who may manifest COVID-19 symptoms, complete with health frontliners who will undertake the necessary checking and actions as well as wash areas for frequent handwashing.
The lady mayor, who was accompanied by Vice Mayor Yul Servo, chief of staff Joshue Santiago and barangay chairwoman Evelyn de Guzman, said safety officers were also assigned to go around before, during and after classes and ensure that the basic health protocols are in place such as the constant wearing of masks and social distancing.
The turnout of students, she added, was lower than expected, given that 285,000 students are projected every year in public schools alone while in private schools, the projected number of students is 105,000.
She attributed this to the possible fear of COVID-19, as she took the opportunity to also ask the students present to convince their parents to have them vaccinated or boosted, if eligible already, saying the vaccines will provide extra protection against COVID-19 otherwise, they will not be recommended or given at all.
Apart from the continous disinfection of the classrooms in the 107 public and elementary schools by staff from the Manila Health Department and the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (MDRRMC) headed by Dr. Arnold ‘Poks’ Pangan and Arnel Angeles respectively, Lacuna said that the Manila Police District personnel have also put up tarpaulins bearing their hotline where a QR code may be scanned for emergency purposes 24/7.
The city government, it was learned, also provided the students with new school needs such as notebooks, uniforms, bags, pens, pencils, papers and even hygiene kits.
Lacuna thanked the Division of City Schools headed by Supt. Magdalena Lim, the parents and the teachers for having undertaken all the necessary preparations to ensure the success of the class opening.
She said that currently, the classes will be done in two shifts of 6 a.m. to 12 noon and then 12 noon to 6 p.m., with only 35 students alloted per classroom to ensure proper distancing.
Lacuna and Servo visited the Bacood Elementary School at 6 a.m., followed by Araullo High School at 7 p.m. In the afternoon, they went to the Isabelo Elementary School and Jose Abad Santos High School. (Baby Cuevas)
