MANALO, LADY BELL F.

As of this moment, COVID -19 is still one of the hottest talked and controversial topics all over
the world. It has widely affected almost if not all aspect of human’s lives, the country even its
educational system. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific,and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), more than 91 percent of the world’s learner’s ,around 1.6 billion students can’t go to schools
in 190 countries and regions, due to this pandemic. What an alarming fact but education must not stop.

The Department of Education maintained that the school opening needs to push through to
ensure that learning continues amidst the pandemic and that the education of Filipino learners will not
be further disrupted since the classes was already interrupted for too long. Education Secretary Leonor
M. Briones said in an online press briefing with Undersecretaries Annalyn Sevilla and Atty. Nepumuceno
Malaluan, on May 28,2020 that DEPED must go on because education must continue since there’s no
other options rather than suspension of classes this coming August 24.

Hence, the DEPED embraces the “New Normal” focusing on alternatives and providing a wide
array of options so that children can continue schooling while waiting for a vaccine which is still
developed in other parts of the world .This includes Distance education wherein children need not to
physically report on schools and Blended Learning modalities. We can’t deny the fact that Face to Face
method brought panic to most people especially to the parents and learners due to anxieties impacted
by the pandemic. Health and safety of every learner will remain the utmost consideration of DEPED.

Personally, I can say that distance education is what we really need to pursue right now but I
have doubts about it working successfully as of this time since there are many things to be considered
like the use of internet ,children’s readiness and the likes. Not all families have the capabilities of
providing the needed materials like laptops, gadgets and internet connection unless all these things will
be provided for the benefit of all especially to those who belong to the low income families. The decision
after all will be up to the parents if they really want to enroll their children on SY 2020-2021. But all in
all, with the help of technology and the cooperation of all –government, DEPED, parents, children and
other stakeholders, distance education will be held successful as time passes by even on these trying
times.