Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 19) – The Commission on Higher Education asked the National Telecommunications Commission to provide free access of online educational resources to students amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
The CHED request was incorporated in the eighth report of President Rodrigo Duterte to Congress , published in compliance with Section 5 of Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act .
The law mandates the President to submit a weekly report to Congress in relation to government efforts to address the coronavirus pandemic.
CHED said in the report that such provision of free internet access for online educational materials will enable around three million college students to adjust to a flexible method of learning, where they can access the resources on their own time.
The Higher Education Commission added its proposal stems from its observation of the challenges of the traditional face-to-face learning, given the current COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
For this reason, CHED tapped leading universities to share their experience and expertise with other public and private higher educational institutions (HEIs) in promoting flexible learning among college students in the upcoming school year.
The universities selected by CHED in this program are De La Salle University, Mapua University, and the University of the Philippines Open University.
The commission is also assessing the existing information technology infrastructure of colleges and universities in the country to determine connectivity preparedness, requirements in enhancing flexible learning, and implementation of learning management systems and online educational resources.
Under the Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of Community Quarantine in the Philippines created by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, recommendations from CHED are adopted to ensure the implementation of Academic Year 2020-2021 amid the relaxed quarantine measures in the country.
HEIs utilizing full online education are allowed to open their school year anytime, while those using flexible learning can begin anytime in August 2020.
The IATF-EID has ordered public and private colleges and universities which use significant face-to-face mode of learning to not open their academic year not earlier than September 1, 2020.
The IATF-EID also encouraged private HEIs to change their academic calendar and open their classes on August this year.
