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Aral Pilipinas specifically called on the departments to issue evidence-based guidelines to
improve the airflow in schools, considering that the coronavirus is an airborne disease. The
group said that measures should be adopted considering the class size, room size, and class
duration, among others.
(This is a simple solution and has a huge benefit in helping children continue going to schools
due to improved ventilation that could avoid transmission. The Aral Pilipinas Coalition
advocates having a tool like the Safe Schools Calculator to guide teachers in making the children
safer.)
Based on DepEd Order series of 2022, all schools and offices shall ensure adequate ventilation
in enclosed and shared spaces by opening windows and doors, using exhaust fans, and placing
fans near windows.
“Part of this is really transparency in terms of the release of the data by the Department of
Education. Ang tagal nang hinihintay, wala pa tayong nakikita dito [we’ve been waiting for this
for a long time, but we haven't seen anything yet]. This should be transparent and be
discussed.”
DepEd has deferred to local government units when it comes to the release of the COVID-19
tally in schools to avoid “conflicting figures.”
Both the DepEd and the DOH, however, repeatedly said that COVID-19 infections in schools are
expected since the pandemic is still prevalent in the country. Even Vice President and Education
Secretary Sara Duterte had said that this was a natural consequence of the reopening of
different sectors, like education.
GMA News Online sought comment from DepEd spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa regarding this,
but he has yet to respond as of this posting.
Leachon also appealed to the government to reconsider the easing of the face mask mandate,
considering the recent detection of the Omicron XBB subvariant and XBC variant.
“Knowing na airborne ito, sana minentain muna natin ‘yung face mask muna. Pwedeng ma-
reconsider ng Pangulo at matataas na members ng ating Kabinete kasi hindi pa naman tayo
nakakasigurado on the course ng XBB at saka the XBC,” he said.
(Knowing that this is airborne, I hope we maintain the face mask first. The President and senior
members of our Cabinet should reconsider because we are not yet sure about the course of the
XBB and XBC.)
“Kung hindi natin mafa-face mask lahat because of that option at ang booster natin ay hindi
kumpleto, sana ‘yung ventilation guidelines [sa eskwelahan] ay malinaw,” he added.
(If we can't have everyone wear face masks because of that option and our boosters are not
complete, I hope the ventilation guidelines in schools are clear.)
With this, the DepEd affirmed that learners had the option to either wear or not wear a
facemask in outdoor settings based on the existing national policy. — DVM, GMA News