by Mira Nicole Magbanua and Lyssa Raquinel
BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – Today seemed like a good day for the oft-repeated classroom joke “Wala klase subong, basa ang chalk (There’s no class today, the chalk is wet)” as rains brought by a storm fell in most parts in the province.
“Smooth and orderly,” was how Ian Arnold Arnaez, spokesperson of the provincial office of the Department of Education, described the first day of the return to physical instructions after two years of lockdowns forced children to study from home.
At least 229,000 students – more than 211,000 in public schools and close to 20,000 in private ones went back to school in this province that has more than a million people.
Students, some excited to go back to real school, woke up today to gloomy skies and light to heavy rains in this urban capital of more than half a million people.
“I am excited to share my sandwich to my friends,” Clay (not his real name), a fifth grader in a private school, told DNX as he held his mother’s hand outside the schoolgates.
Like Clay, some primary school students headed off for school with their parents or helpers.
Here, some major roads had heavy traffic as public and private cars hit the road to bring students to school.
Among those school that started the face to face classes today is Estefania Elementary School.
School principal Riggi Lachica said they only allowed 25 percent or a fourth of of the capacity of students per classroom for in-person classes.
After two weeks, they will increase it to 50 percent until it reaches 100 percent in November.
One of the challenges however is the unrepaired facilities of the school.
As rains fell hard today, water dripped from the ceiling in some classrooms causing a little inconvenience to some teachers.
Lachica also stressed help is on the way from various stakeholders.
Some of the teachers said this transition from modular to in person classes is a great challenge for them as some students have difficulties in reading and writing.
For them, the return pf physical classes is a good way for them to guide the students better in learning.
