JUSTICE Secretary Menardo Gueverra, one of the members of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID), on Sunday signified his support for cutting short the school year in light of the local transmission of the dreaded coronavirus or COVID-19, which has killed more than 3,000 people worldwide.
In a text message to reporters, Guevarra said IATF-EID, which is set to meet Monday, would defer to the guidance of the Department of Health on the issue of suspension of classes, although he stressed that the members of the task force “have always taken the position that in these dangerous times, public health is of primordial importance.”
Guevarra pointed out, “We can recover lost revenues from trade and tourism, make up for lost time, and reset events to some better days, but we cannot resurrect people who may die due to indifference or lack of precaution.”
He added that the issue of suspension of classes is “for possible consideration” at the meeting of the task force.
Various sectors and some government officials have urged the Department of Eduation to call off classes following DOH’s confirmation of local transmission of the COVID-19.
The country has six confirmed cases of coranavirus with one death—a chinese man ho had traveled to Manila from Wuhan—and another one still in critical condition.
Navotas City Mayor Toby Tiangco on Saturday urged the DepEd to consider passing all students and to call off remaining classes.
The DepEd, on the other hand, said it will wait for the advice of the IATF-EID on the matter.
Based on the DepEd’s calendar, the 2019-2020 school year will end on April 3.
On the other hand, Labor Committee Chairman Joel Villanueva called on the Department of Labor and Employment to urge employers to allow a work-from-home arrangement to avoid the spread of the disease.