Mayors’ league head says Iloilo still unready for in-person classes

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP)-Iloilo Chapter (LMP-Iloilo) President Trixie Fernandez said Tuesday that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the province are still too high for learners to return for the pilot implementation of limited face-to-face classes in four towns.

Two town mayors, Ronilo Caspe of Cabatuan and Geefre Alonsabe of Alimodian, called on the Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday to coordinate with local government units (LGUs) for the pilot implementation.

Tomas Confesor Memorial Elementary School in Cabatuan and Cabacanan Elementary School in Alimodian were recommended to the DepEd central office in Pasig City as pilot sites for limited in-person classes.

Two other schools were also recommended, Granada National High School-Ballesteros Campus in Carles and Palanguia National High School in Pototan, as part of 100 public schools across the country where the classes will be implemented.

Both Caspe and Alonsabe have said that while they also wished for children to return to schools, DepEd should consult local leaders first.

Confesor’s school principal reached out to Caspe last year, while the Alimodian town council passed a resolution in January supporting Cabacanan’s inclusion as a pilot school.

But as both mayors said in separate interviews with Aksyon Radyo-Iloilo, the COVID-19 situations in their towns have changed.

Data from the Iloilo Provincial Health Office as of Sept. 21, 2021 showed that Alimodian has 822 COVID cases, while Cabatuan has 717.

A resolution by town councils or a letter from the LGU supporting the schools in their area to be included in the piloting was one of the requirements mentioned by the DepEd in its press release last Monday.

Fernandez, the mayor of San Enrique town, told Aksyon Radyo Iloilo Wednesday that the DepEd-Division of Iloilo had not asked LMP-Iloilo’s position on the pilot program.

She echoed Caspe’s sentiment saying that while DepEd officials have reached out to LGUs last year, the current situation has changed.

She believes that all mayors share the same sentiment that schools in the province are not ready for a physical set-up, citing the fact that school-age children have remained unvaccinated against COVID-19.

While the DepEd wants to reopen classes physically, she said that “life and health should be prioritized.”

“The list was done last year, and the situation right now is so different compared to where we were last year. Although I don’t talk to mayors on a daily basis, I believe that almost all of us share the same position on this issue, that we are not ready to do this. It is still too risky for our children who are unvaccinated, to go back to school for a face-to-face in schools,” Fernandez said.

She said that the DepEd should consult local chief executives before making any moves on pilot implementation, saying that the local leaders were the ones at the center of managing COVID in their respective areas.

She cited San Enrique’s current COVID situation where two COVID-positive patients die each week even if the causes of death were non-COVID related.

“If there will be an outbreak caused by this [limited face-to-face classes], the children might not be affected or be low risk, but they can be carriers of the virus and bring it home to their parents or grandparents, will DepEd help us find hospitals for the patients? Will DepEd help us contact-trace?” She added.

Fernandez said that she will meet with fellow mayors and Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. for a clearer position on the matter.