Perception on the Face to Face Classes in the Philippines amidst Pandemic

Ginatali Pai, MD, AAHIVS said that "We think we are done with the Pandemic, but the Pandemic is not done with us." while i was reading this qoutation that I saw on the internet about the COVID-19 Pandemic, I remember how our current situation started.

2019-New Corona Virus (N-COV) or also known as Corona Virus-19 (COVID-19) was first identified in the City of Wuhan China last 2019 of December. At first we can hear some news about it but we are not too worried on how it will affect us. But on the year 2020, this virus become contagious and spread from one country to another.

It happen so fast that make the world shut. It makes the economy go down, transportation stops, business bankrupt, employees has remove from work, lock downs and protocols are strictly implemented, and most of all it affect our education system and face to face classes has been cancelled.

We know that Philippines is a country that values the importance of education. Before the Pandemic begin, students entered to their respective classroom to listen to their subject teachers, do their activities, and quizzes, they are socially active and make friends with their classmates. In short all of this are done in a place we called "School."

But when COVID-19 strikes. The Department of Education have a plan and implement a new normal setting of learning. This is what we called: Online Learning Classes, Modular Distance Learning, and Blended Learning. Let me discuss briefly what are these modes of learning that our government or the Department of education implemented.

Based on the TeachersPH this are the following settings of learning that implemented by the Department of Education to cope up with the current situation:

• Online Learning Classes- this learning modalities makes our teachers as a facilitators to guide the learners to learn in the use of technology and gadgets. It allows synchronous classes where the learners are needed to entered on an application like zooms and Google meet to listen to the live discussion of the lesson taught by the subject teacher. They are needed to have a strong signal of internet connection to be able to clearly understand their lesson.

• Modular Distance Learning-This type of learning settings allows the learners to self-study or answer the lesson by themselves. The teacher will give them an answering modules. They can ask guidance from their gurdians or ask the teacher thru online app if they have questions regarding the lesson. The teachers can also give a recorded video lesson to help the learner clearly understand the modules content.

• Blended Learning - This learning is a combination of face to face classes and online distance learning but i guess it was rarely implemented because of the high positivity rate of COVID-19 cases in our country.

And on 19th of October 2021, while I was watching the news I heard that there will be a pilot implementation of limited Face to Face classes. So it make me think what the benefits or good things that can make by this decision and what are its consequences or drawbacks?

If this pilot implementation is successful, next school year will be:

• Learnings will be more engaging.

• Student’s concern regarding the lesson will be clearer.

• Opportunity, Information and understanding will be more accessible with the help of the teacher or facilitators

• Social interaction with their schoolmates will be more developed.

If this pilot implementation will be successful, we are going to adapt the new normal in education. Little by little our education system, schools, faculty and staffs, parents and also our students will be able to adapt to its current situation face to face will be better after a few years of surviving the pandemic.

But what do you think will be the drawbacks of its pilot implementation?

• If one students or school staffs has become positive to the COVID-19, the virus will strike hitting our younger generation making the numbers of positive cases will rise.

• A big amount of efforts and budget will be needed.

• Putting the health of the learner at risk because of COVID-19 virus.

Looking at its benefits and drawbacks makes me think hard. We really need to move and do the things that don’t sacrifice the health of the learners also we need to plan for the future of our learners. COVID-19 is still here and we and the government are responsible to do the right thing to stop the contamination of the COVID-19 virus. We must follow the protocols, wear facemask, face shield wash our hands be healthy and be vaccinated in that case we can lessen the risk of getting any virus. We should also remind our younger generation to strictly follow the protocol for the sake of their safety.

This Pandemic will end soon. We should not give up. We must help the government to make our country safe from any virus and help our younger generation go back to school and live normally.