The Department of Education (DepEd) on Friday did not discount the possibility of allowing schools to conduct face-to-face (F2F) graduation ceremonies.

In a “Laging Handa” briefing, Education Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan said the DepEd had recommended the conduct of more school-based activities aside from the expansion of F2F classes to President Rodrigo Duterte.

“[D]oon sa ating written report ay ang ating hinihingi ay progressive expansion of F2F classes and school-based activities and of course, graduation is a school based activity and there are other school based activities that we can include,” Malaluan said.

Malaluan said the department would adhere to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases’ “public health decisions” to decide on the matter.

“It will also depend on the level of relaxation of F2F protocols and as I mentioned that’s a public health decision that we have to do consultation with the Department of Health. But kung tuloy-tuloy ito, hindi malayo na iyan (F2F graduation) ay maging posibilidad na,” he said.

The DepEd has started resuming F2F classes in several regions of the country.

In-person basic education classes are allowed under Alert Level 1 and 2. John Ezekiel J. Hirro