Go maintains ‘no vaccine, no face-to-face classes’ despite Duterte's change of mind

Pro-administration Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go on Wednesday stood firm that he is not in favor of allowing face-to-face classes until a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, despite President Rodrigo Duterte's approval to do so.

"Let me reiterate po: No vaccine, no face-to-face as much as possible. Importante makapag-aral pa rin ang mga bata sa paraan na hindi sila mapipilitang ma-expose sa sakit," Go, chair of the Senate committee on health, said in a statement.

"Ayaw kong mapunta sa bata ang burden. Ayaw ko ma-pressure ang estudyante na pumasok sa eskwela tapos may banta naman sa kanilang kalusugan," he added.

On Tuesday, Duterte approved the Department of Education's proposal to hold "limited" face-to-face classes in selected parts of the country where the chances of COVID-19 transmission is low.

Malacañang later clarified that such mode of learning will be allowed starting January 2021.

Go pointed out that the very reason the Congress passed a law allowing the President to reschedule the opening of classes beyond August was to protect the welfare of the students, teachers, and parents.

He also urged government agencies to come together in addressing the connectivity problems of many Filipino students.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chair of the Senate committee on basic education, also implored telecommunication companies to provide free internet connection to students.

He pushed his call anew for the construction of cell sites in public schools to strategically ensure internet coverage in over 42,000 barangays.

"Bagama’t hindi natin itinuturing na hadlang ang kawalan ng internet upang patuloy na makapag-aral ang mga estudyante sa gitna ng pandemya, kailangang pagsikapan nating maabot ang bawat bata at bigyan sila ng pagkakataong matuto gamit ang makabagong mga pamamaraan," Gatchalian said in a separate statement.

The senator also nixed DepEd's plan to hold "limited" face-to-face classes in low-risk areas. —LDF, GMA News