IMUS CITY, Cavite – Two schools in Cavite province on Monday opened for the pilot implementation of limited face-to-face classes amid the threat of the coronavirus disease-19.

Governor DM Camerino Integrated School in Bgy. Medicion 2-A in this city, and Bagong Tubig Elementary School in Tagaytay City, passed to participate in the national pilot implementation of limited face-to-face classes, along with 298 other schools nationwide, selected by the Department of Education.

Twelve students from kindergarten and 16 from Grades 1 to 3 were admitted to the two schools, which were divided into two batches, and will undergo rotational face-to-face classes, and online or modular learning classes, in line with the DepEd guidelines.

Imus Mayor and Buklod Filipino Partylist 1st nominee Emmanuel Maliksi, Schools Division superintendent Dr. Rosemarie Torres, and Dr. Jesus Bergado, principal of Gov. DM Camerino Integrates School, led the inspection of the pilot class to find out the status of the students on the first day of F2F schooling.

“With the cooperation of the DepEd and other stakeholders, parents and teachers, the first day of new normal schooling went well, safety protocols were followed,” Maliksi said.

“It’s a big challenge to us, this pilot implementation of classroom set up, from limited to large numbers of students. We need to prepare for the new normal setting of education,” the mayor further said.

“All we need to do are activities that can be implemented by everyone. For now it is limited, pero mas kailangan natin paghandaan eh ang pangkalahatan na new normal settings. This is the challenge for our government.” Maliksi added.

Parents and students of the two schools followed the safety measures prepared by each school on the first day of class, including the thermal scanning, proper wearing of face masks, and frequent handwashing.

All parents of the enrolled students signed a waiver allowing their children to attend the limited pilot face-to-face classes.

“Noong sinabi ko sa anak ko na papasok s’ya sa school, eh tuwang- tuwa po sya, kung ano po ‘yung orientation ng school, susundin po namin ito, hanga’t maaari po ay bahay, school lang po, para sa kaligtasan po namin,’ Emelyn Cerna, mother of a Grade1 pupil from Medicion 1 A, said.

Kindergarten pupils will stay in the classrooms for three and a half hours while Grade 1, 2, and 3 will be allowed to hold class for four hours and a half.

“On January 2022, we will also open the Toclong Elementary School, Bucandala Elementary School and Alapan Elementary School and we will also test the pilot implementation of limited face-to-face classes for High School and Senior High School,” said Maliksi.

Teachers and support staff members of the Century old Governor DM Camerino Integrated School formerly Gov. DM Camerino Elementary School and Buhay na Tubig Elementary School were 100 percent fully- vaccinated against COVID-19.