Higher Education

health protection measures while delivering essential services, functions and responsibilities, priority programs and projects to achieve the goals of basic education.

Abrupt closure of school year and cancellation of other scheduled activities. The postponement of school activities, scheduled trainings, workshops, and seminars, national assessment tests, on-site monitoring, evaluation, validation of programs and other activities reflected in the work plan were among the effects of the pandemic in basic education operations. Official travels, sports events, researches and procurement process were cancelled. This caused delays in the submission of school reports and disruptions of workflow in the regional and division offices. Schools were forced to end the school year earlier with unfinished activities. Graduating students and pupils were promoted to the next grade/year level without holding traditional end-of-school year rites.

Internet connectivity issues and other concerns of education work force. Majority of personnel were not able to perform their normal functions except for those identified as essential in the continuity of the overall performance of the agency, like finance and administration divisions. Poor internet connection further constrained the functioning of personnel who were forced to work from home and teachers who needed to comply with school reports. The unavailability of transportation caused difficulty to office personnel who needed to report to their respective offices assigned as skeletal workforce.

Difficulty in adopting distance and e-learning. In the case of Western Visayas, distance learning and e-learning were not the preferred choice of teaching and studying. The teachers were not technically, psychologically and educationally prepared to conduct online classes. Weak and expensive internet connection continually beset the region even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic due to limited infrastructure support in providing fast, cheap and reliable internet connection.

Most learners, particularly the poor and marginalized are not equipped technologically in shifting to online modes of learning. Families which could barely provide for their educational needs are further burdened by the high costs incurred in accessing internet facilities. In the Philippine context, acquiring good internet connection is not a basic need but rather a luxury to many who could not afford it.

During the quarantine period, the safety of teachers was a paramount concern which significantly affected work performance even in a work-from-home arrangement. Thus, teachers’ salaries and other benefits were released in advance to provide them financial support during the quarantine period.

Higher Education In higher education, class disruptions were also experienced brought about by the abrupt and early closure of colleges and universities.

Alternative learning strategies were undertaken. Like the learners in basic education, students of higher education institutions (HEIs) were not able to complete their school

requirements, especially those who are graduating during the quarantine period due to early closure of schools. Alternative learning activities, case studies, assignments and other activities were pursued using multimedia learning and teleconferencing platforms like Gmail, Google Hangouts, Skype, Zoom, and even Facebook. For students and teachers who have limited or no internet connection, phone calls and text messages were helpful in giving and receiving schoolrelated instructions.

Public and private HEIs in the region exercised flexibility in adjusting their respective academic calendar, in deployment of students currently undergoing the National Service Training Program (NSTP), and in offering alternative school-based activities. Alternative options for students undergoing practicum or on-the-job trainings (OJT) were also provided to enable them to complete their required training hours.

Although there were schools who opted to cancel or postpone their graduation ceremonies, majority of the colleges and universities conducted online or virtual graduation ceremonies to avoid mass gatherings and to facilitate the advancement of students to the next level.

Prolonged quarantine period caused mental and emotional health problems. Long confinements in dormitories and boarding houses caused anxiety and fear among students and teachers, especially those from outside the region. Also, limited access to public transportation during the ECQ prevented them from going home immediately resulting to being stranded for long periods in Manila, Cebu, Davao and other parts of the region. There are also concerns of mass hysteria in school communities where the spread of fake news in social media and online platforms led to misinformation.

Spirit of volunteerism prevalent among HEIs. Private and public HEIs have been active partners of the government during the quarantine period. The SUCs volunteered to produce facemasks and PPEs for health workers and frontliners in the region. Some SUCs, in coordination with the LGUs, also lent their vehicles to transport frontliners, particularly those who had to travel from their houses to their work places. Other SUCs raised funds to provide food packs to stranded students and faculty. Some public and private schools offered their facilities, resources and experts to put up an accredited COVID-19 testing center in the region.

Policy guidelines were issued to HEIs to address COVID-19 challenges. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) issued the following guidelines to both public11 and private higher education institutions (HEIs) to initially address the challenges posed by the pandemic:

 Advisory No. 1 dated February 12, 2020 calling for massive information campaign, prevention and control, screening, athletic and other concerns, travel, creation of inhouse information resource units.

 Advisory No. 2 dated March 11, 2020 calling for the creation of the preparation of an

HEI Emergency Plan, suspension of classes in all levels, assistance to students, teachers, staff and HEI administrators who are abroad, and the guidance for HEIs with identified cases of COVID-19 in the university’s respective community.

11 Public HEIs include SUCs and LUCs