The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) is eyeing a December start for limited face-to-face (F2F) classes in areas under Alert Level 2.

In a briefing of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, CHEd Chairman Prospero de Vera said a January start of F2F classes was also being eyed for areas under Alert Level 3.

“Yung mga handa na, ‘yung gustong magsimula, December puwede na,” he said.

However, de Vera said the likely outcome was for “many” schools to start at the start of the second semester.

The second semester for higher education institutions (HEIs) that open their academic calendars in the month of August starts in January or February.

“Realistically, I think many of the schools will do it at the start of second semester kasi hindi na nila mabago ‘yung kanilang mga tinuturo for the first semester kasi patapos na,” he said.

F2F classes are allowed in Alert Level 2 areas at up to 50 percent room capacity.

HEIs participating in F2F classes are required to have high vaccination rates among students and teachers, the permission of local government units to conduct classes and retrofitted facilities. John Ezekiel J. Hirro