The Department of Education may be in over their heads.
Recently, DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones claimed that it is now safe to conduct face-to-face classes, defending the agency’s plan to have face-to-face classes pilot implementation in January next year.
“Sinasabi na lahat ng pag-aaral nagpapakita na ang pinaka-lowest threat ay sa schools,” Briones said.
She also claimed that the place that poses the most threat to acquire the virus is at home.
“Ang malaking posibilidad ay sa homes kasi that is where they spend most of their time and other places,” she added.
As a result of such a claim, Briones trended for another questionable statement from her. Several celebrities and netizens aired their disgust about how the government official thinks.
Actress Chynna Ortaleza wrote her thoughts on the statement of Briones. According to her, it is better to trust parental instincts rather than follow DepEd.
https://twitter.com/ChynsOrtaleza/status/1339159771593625600
Meanwhile, DJ Chacha ridiculed the officials of DepEd as she wrote on her Twitter account the inconsistency between different branches of the government when it comes to implementing health protocols. In her tweet, she compared the DepEd’s notion of having face-to-face classes while the Inter-Agency Task Force ordered children to stay in their homes. She even added humor to her post as she asked if they have a group chat so that they could talk things through.
https://twitter.com/_djchacha/status/1339163590968799232
Francis Baraan IV was confused about the protocols of the government against the coronavirus. In his post, he thought that people should stay at home yet the DepEd Secretary wants physical classes.
AKALA KO BA, WE ALL SHOULD STAY AT HOME?
Pero bakit ngayon, gusto na ni DepEd Sec. Briones ang face-to-face classes?
ANO BA TALAGA?! Stay home, stay home pa kayo diyang nalalaman! pic.twitter.com/NqGwFKUFnF
— Francis Baraan IV (@MrFrankBaraan) December 16, 2020
Netizens also shared their sentiments regarding the news about the supposed face-to-face classes. They also condemned the dry run for the physical class which was approved by the President last Monday.
Twitter user @IanTangaro condemned the statement of Briones that the virus was contracted not from school-related activities as he emphasized the fact that there were no classes during the start of the pandemic.
I condemned the current statement of DePed Sec. Briones that 96% of Covid-19 cases among students are recorded not from school cases.
Question? Nagkaroon ba NG klase since the start of pandemic?
Where did they get those data? #deped#briones
— Ian Felix Tangaro Ramirez (@tangaro_ian) December 16, 2020
@MukbangSisChel asked Sec. Briones to show facts and evidence first before stating that physical classes are safer than online ones.
Wow meym. Calm down. We have not yet perform a dry run for f2f. Show relevant facts and evidences if it is true. Kaloka. https://t.co/y2ov9PSoxT
— Sendoh (@RoomNiLaw) December 16, 2020
Several netizens were also confused as to why Briones made such a claim when in fact the Philippines had the longest quarantine around the world.
@frannie_berry was bewildered by such a statement and questioned the essence of staying at home when it is safer to conduct physical classes as per Briones.
https://twitter.com/frannie_berry/status/1339166260253188103
@crisiantwebco also questioned the quarantine protocols as to why children were required to stay at home. Then all of a sudden it is safer for them to be in an actual class according to Sec. Briones. She also condemned the integrity of the secretary for not demanding the government to buy vaccines for every young student before conducting such face-to-face classes.
If this is the case, why are our quarantine protocols requiring children to stay at home?
And why are you not demanding this government to buy SAFE and APPROVED vaccines first so ALL children can do face to face classes, Sec. Briones? https://t.co/l9QijLblEO
— #FreeLeilaDeLimaNow (@AdelizaDiego) December 16, 2020
Meanwhile, @saNCTuary023 was concerned about the students who were about to partake in the dry run headed by DepEd. For the Twitter user, it seemed that those who will participate in the dry run are like lab rats which would be a test if they will or will not contract the coronavirus.
this whole dry run looks like the students are lab rats to see if they can or not contract covid-19 at schools. I'm worried for my siblings, cousins, the teachers, the staffs at schools and all the other students. https://t.co/N92vovCBBY
— ria (@ellipsessss) December 16, 2020
The dry run for the face-to-face classes was approved by President Duterte and will be done in areas where there are the least COVID cases. According to Malacañang, the dry run will start next year, January 11 up to 23 of the same month.
According to the timeline presented by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, the DepEd regional directors will nominate schools that will conduct said dry run. The nominees will then be submitted to DepEd Sec. Briones and the participants will be selected on December 28, 2020.
