Following the declaration of a state of public health emergency in the country over the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Senator Win Gatchalian is urging the Department of Education (DepEd) to suspend graduation rites, including preschool graduations and moving-up ceremonies nationwide. Gatchalian said daycare graduation rites should also be suspended.
The veteran legislator earlier cautioned the DepEd to follow tge recommendations set by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the holding of public gatherings like graduations but he said local transmission of the virus now calls for the suspension of any upcoming ceremonies.
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who usually are parents or relatives of the graduates, tend to show up in graduation rites and this might compromise the safety of students, teachers, and all school personnel present in the occasion.
“Cancel field trips, film showing, and other events imposed by some schools as a requirement for graduation or completion.”
The seasoned lawmaker also called for the cancellation of other activities or non-academic projects such as field trips, film showings, and other events organized by some schools as a requirement for the graduation or completion of students. For this year, the DepEd said graduation ceremonies should not be held earlier than March 30, 2020, but not later than April 3, 2020.
The Department of Health (DOH) has raised the COVID-19 Alert System to Code Red sublevel 1, following a confirmed case of local transmission and the possibility of community transmission.
According to the DOH, the response to this stage includes intensified contact tracing, home quarantine for close contacts of COVID-19-positive patients, enhanced Severe Acute Respiratory Illness surveillance, and activation of laboratories outside the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM).
Community-level quarantine or lockdown, including the suspension of work and classes, will be implemented at the “sustained community transmission” stage, when the links in the increasing number of local cases cannot be established.
“DepEd should increase its vigilance and readiness in terms of monitoring persons at risk.”
“Huwag na nating hintayin pang magkaroon ng kumpirmadog kaso sa ating mga mag-aaral, mga magulang, guro, at iba pang mga kawani sa paaralan. Upang masiguro natin ang kanilang kaligtasan, mainam na ipagpaliban muna natin ang mga seremonya ng pagtatapos, pati na rin ang mga malalaking pagtitipon na maaaring magdulot ng mas malaking panganib”, said Gatchalian who is also Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture.
The senator also urged the DepEd to increase its vigilance and readiness in terms of monitoring persons at risk and providing timely interventions for those who display COVID-19-like symptoms, including access to isolation and treatment facilities.
All these steps, he said, should be done in close coordination with local health officials and health care providers while classes still remain.