In a press briefing, Roque said that the resumption of face-to-face classes is only for areas with the lowest quarantine levels to ensure the country would have enough health care workers.
"Ito po ay sa mga med schools and iyong mga medical allied programs sa mga higher educational institutions sa MGCQ (Modified General Community Quarantine), at para po sa mga higher education institutes in GCQ (General Community Quarantine) areas with base hospitals that cater to COVID-19 patients," Roque clarified.
"Ito po ay para hindi tayo maubusan ng mga doktor," he added.
Roque said that Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) initially approved the face-to-face internship programs in UP-Philippine General Hospital (PGH).
The approval of the President was articulated in the Memorandum of Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea dated January 11, 2021 sent to Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairman Prospero de Vera III.
Based on the Memo, the resumption is allowed in the following:
1. HEIs in areas under MGCQ
2. HEIs in GCQ areas with base hospitals that cater to COVID-19 patients, subject to minimum health standards
De Vera initially announced the approval in an interview over GMA 24 Oras. He said that he made the recommendation to IATF through a letter last December 4 and the President gave it a go.
"The president has approved my recommendation to have limited face-to-face within higher education institutions in medicine and allied health sciences in MGCQ areas and in GCQ areas where the students go into COVID-19 hospitals," De Vera said.
Other schools that wish to hold limited face-to-face classes must submit an application, according to CHED. Education authorities will then visit the campus to inspect its compliance with requirements for face-to-face classes.
Currently, GCQ areas include Metro Manila, Batangas, and Davao City, among others. The rest of the country is under MGCQ, the lowest quarantine classification.
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