The Department of Education (DepEd) said Thursday that it had prepared proposals regarding the opening date of the school year 2021-2022. 

DepEd Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla said during a virtual presser that the proposals would be presented to President Rodrigo Duterte and the Cabinet for their consideration and approval.

The August 23 start date proposal is only one of the options since the Education Department is mandated under the law to open the school year not later than the last day of August  unless the president intervenes.

Last July, Duterte signed Republic Act 11480, which allows the chief executive to set at any date the opening of classes in case of a state of calamity or emergency.

The Philippines was forced to shift to distance learning this academic year. Modules and online classes were used due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

“We will not go back to face-to-face classes unless it is approved by the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) and the President,” Sevilla further said. Ronald Espartinez