Briones urges parents to get kids vaccinated vs COVID-19 amid face-to-face class resumption

Education Secretary Leonor Briones on Tuesday encouraged parents to get their children inoculated against COVID-19 amid the resumption of limited face-to-face classes.

Briones made the call, citing that the resumption of face-to-face classes relies on the outcome of the vaccination campaign.

“So iyong ating pag-asa ng bayan, siguro makausad na tayo by 2022, by end December, tatapusin na natin itong pilot and talagang i-implement na natin ang tunay na polisiya para sa edukasyon, blended learning, kombinasyon ng digital learning at saka face-to-face at bigyan natin ang mga bata ng pagkakataon na makakita din sila ng iba pang mga bata,” Briones said in a statement.

(The children are the hope of the country, maybe we can move forward by 2022 by the end of December, we will end this pilot and we will really implement the real policy for education, blended learning, combination of digital learning and then face- to-face and let us give the children a chance to see other kids too.)

The Education secretary also expressed hope in the continuous expansion of limited face-to-face classes as more Filipinos were vaccinated during the National COVID-19 Vaccination Days.

“Kaya kami ay tuwang-tuwa and it’s a great honor for us to work with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr.  and testing czar Vivencio "Vince" Dizon sa kampanyang ito kasi ang success ng education is very dependent on the health of our children and we need to protect our children hindi lamang iyong 12-17 years old na mga bata, pero lahat including the parents themselves,” Briones said.

(We’re excited and it’s a great honor for us to work with Duque, Galvez, and Dizon in this campaign because the success of education is very dependent on the health of our children and we need to protect our children not only your 12-17 years old children, but everyone including the parents themselves.)

“Malaki ang aming interest na mag-open ng face-to-face hindi lamang sa mga lugar na walang masyadong tao kundi sa mga urban areas. We’re thinking largely of NCR (National Capital Region), also of Region IV-A, and the large cities na napakaraming mga bata naka-concentrate doon,” she added.

(We have a great interest in opening face-to-face not only in less populous areas but also in urban areas. We’re thinking largely of NCR, also of Region IV-A, and the large cities where many kids concentrated there.)

Meanwhile, Galvez said 6.5 million or 22% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 years old have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

The national vaccination days were initially scheduled from November 29 to December 1. It was extended until December 3 upon the request of some local government units. Another second round of vaccination was held on December 15 to 17.

The Department of Education (DepEd) earlier reported no COVID-19 case during the four-week pilot implementation of face-to-face classes.—AOL, GMA News