The official opening of in-person classes on Monday has been peaceful and orderly, Department of Education (DepEd) spokesperson Michael Poa said.

“Based po sa mga initial reports ng ating mga regional directors, sa ngayon po ay naging maganda naman po ang kinalabasan ng ating opening of classes. Wala naman po tayong mga reports na mga untowards incidents ngayong araw maliban na lang sa pag suspinde ng mga klase sa mga bahagi ng ating bansa kung saan dumaan si bagyong Florida,“ Poa said in an interview with DZRH’s Balansyado.

He added that there were only 26 reports regarding school policies and enrollment concerns but it was resolved eventually.

Poa said as of Aug. 22, about 46 percent of schools nationwide are implementing five-day in-person classes and over 51 percent are implementing blended learning wherein learners only go to school thrice a week.

He cited that based on the department's report to Senate last week, the shortage of classrooms reached 90,000 nationwide but he said it is currently addressed by school administrators.

“Meron po tayong long-term plan diyan at ayun ang pagpapatayo ng bagong classrooms which we have to do with coordination with DPWH pero po dito sa short term ay kinakailangan po natin mag implement ng shifting schedules kung hindi man lang mag blended learning for the transition period,“ Poa said.

He assured that under the leadership of Education Secretary Sarah Duterte, the classroom backlog will eventually be addressed.

“It may not be happen overnight po but at least in the next few years, ayan po talaga ang target natin, ang magawan ng solusyon ang infrastructure problem natin sa edukasyon,“ he added.

As students return to attend face-to-face classes, Poa said the education department is relentlessly reminding schools to follow minimum health standards and encouraging students to get vaccinated for protection amid rising COVID-19 cases.

As of Aug. 22, DepEd reported over 28 million students are enrolled in both public and private schools.