By Sofia Baldonado & Xander Lauren Cipriano
With the latest approval of President Rodrigo Duterte on the expansion of limited face-to-face classes on other degree programs in areas under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ), students from the College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology (CEAT) and College of Tourism and Hospitality Management (CTHM) shared their sentiments and concerns regarding the said announcement.
Mikhail Llose, a second-year Electrical Engineering student, expressed his concerns on why he believes the country is not yet well-equipped for the announced gradual reopening of classes to MGCQ areas.
“I don’t think our country is ready to a face-to-face classes, especially hindi lahat willing magpa-vaccine, marami pang variants, marami pang factors na pwedeng makaapekto sa face-to-face classes.” Llose explained.
In an interview with Rappler, health expert Dr. Renzo Guinto, clarified in July that the uncertainty is not the main interferer of the low vaccination rates, but due to the gradual rollout and delayed supply of vaccines.
However, in a press briefing of the Department of Health (DOH) on Monday, October 11, Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire stated that the vaccination for the general population will roll out soon.
Tracing back to the previous controversies on the poorly used government funds, Llose asserted that the government is not properly allocating resources for the COVID-19 response.
Later this year, the House of Representatives’ health panel continues a series of hearings, questioning the Duterte administration with their allocation of funds, pandemic strategies, and inefficiency observed in contact tracing, testing and available medicines.
Shared struggles in the online setup
Majority of the country’s universities have been dealing with online classes for almost two years and the dilemma of expensive yet poor internet connection takes a toll on families to afford the sudden transition in learning conditions.
The Digital Quality of Life Index 2020 from Virtual Private Network (VPN) provider Surfshark ranked the Philippines’ internet affordability and quality as 79th and 84th, respectively, out of 85 countries.
Meanwhile, Christian De Torres, a fourth-year Mechanical Engineering student, said that at first, virtual learning sounded relaxing and stress-free without having the need to commute or leave the house at all. However, he claims it became physically and mentally exhausting for students over time.
“The scenario in online classes [is] more like self-learning. Many of my block mates wanted to stop because the quality of education during online classes is degraded, and not worth our tuition fees.” Torres added.
Farhannah Sacapaño, a second-year Hotel and Restaurant Management student also shared that while the first part of the semester seems ‘fun’ based on the posts she saw on social media, it gets tiring as it continues.
In addition to this, Morallo also pointed out that their class missed several learning opportunities due to the sudden change of setup.
“Marami lang kaming namimiss talaga like ‘yung cabin crew training, or ‘yung mga (tours) namin abroad, seminars, bazaars, mga (local) trainings, hindi na namin na-experience,” she said.
It is worth noting that Senator Sherwin Gatchalian issued last September that at least 2.3 million students failed to enroll in online learning for A.Y. 2020-2021, projecting more complicated issues for the financial stability of families.
[READ: https://www.rappler.com/nation/gatchalian-says-millions-dropouts-schools-adapt-pandemic]
Such in the case of Lalaine Castillo, a third-year electrical engineering student. For almost two years in distance learning, while her family copes financially, she continues to struggle fulfilling her online learning demands.
“[Nung] nag-online classes, iisa lang ‘yung gamit naming [gadget] ng kapatid ko, dun kami nag-struggle na tiyaka lang ako pwede gumamit ‘pag free ‘yung kapatid ko. Buti na lang maluwag ‘yung schedule ko since college ako, pero paano ‘yung mga taong mas marami pang kapatid sa’kin?” she stated.
Castillo also shared that for her to avoid skipping the current school year, she opted to lessen the subjects she is taking to manage their finances.
Is the University ready?
Mixed feedbacks from CEAT and CTHM students were garnered when asked on the University’s level of readiness in terms of handling limited face-to-face classes anytime soon.
Morallo said that while it is ‘great’ that plans for limited face-to-face classes on other courses are being laid out, she thought that DLSU-D may not be prepared to conduct such due to several health risks.
“By attending the limited face-to-face classes, I’m exposed to (COVID-19) every time I go out, and I have this fear of being a carrier of the virus, unknowingly passing it to my family. Commuting is hard as well, and the parents’ approval din talaga is crucial since not every parent will allow their child to go back to the University,” she added.
Meanwhile, Sacapaño also remarked that vaccination of students is one of the main challenges the University might face due to the risks of infection present during the limited face-to-face classes.
While threats are present, Llose pointed out that the limited face-to-face classes will be more beneficial to students in terms of effective learning.
“I think face-to-face classes in DLSU-D would be applicable naman, it would be a great help for me and for other students… kasi it’s easier to learn, nasanay tayo na face-to-face [at] ngayon lang tayo nag-online learning, so [it’s] much easier to learn and to process things [on face-to-face]… kasi syempre nasa campus ka… you’re [really] focused,” he said.
Moreover, Castillo believed that hands-on experience is ‘a must’ and much efficient than online readings to practice students’ competency.
According to the Office of Student Services (OSS) Dean Dr. Domingo Reblora Jr., the University’s preparations for the face-to-face classes were postponed due to the emergence of the Delta variant of COVID-19 and the eventual lockdowns in the province.
When asked if the University is prepared for the limited face-to-face classes, Reblora stated, “Banking on the earlier preparations conducted [by the University], I think the school is ready for that development.”
[READ: https://959greenfm.wordpress.com/2021/10/20/dlsu-d-to-plan-for-limited-face-to-face-classes/]
Morallo shared some reminders to everyone when the time comes that the University will start accommodating limited face-to-face classes to some courses.
“Push for vaccination for all faculty staff and students to add another layer of protection and remember to take care of your well-being by wearing your face masks, bringing alcohol and wipes, and practice social distancing,” she said.
As of writing, the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) already created an experts group to create guidelines for the limited face-to-face classes on all courses, considering that the vaccination trend in colleges continuously improves.
[READ: https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/15/21/ched-says-experts-crafting-rules-for-in-person-classes]
