MANILA - The Commission on Higher Education is studying "flexible" internship programs for college students who only need it to complete their studies, an official of the agency said Saturday.

• Colleges, universities told to move OJT, other subjects to 2nd semester

CHED Executive Director Cinderella Filipina Benitez-Jaro said they are studying a mix of online and offline courses for internships that do not at all need face-to-face interactions.

For programs requiring the student's physical presence, Jaro said these may be done in the "latter part of the semester."

"Ang pinagaaralan ay magkaroon ng flexible na OJT or internship. Ibig sabihin, may mga parte na kaya nating gawin online o offline. [Kung] wala pa namang skills-based na kinakailangan ay gawin siguro sa pag-oopen ng academic year," Jaro said in a televised press briefing.

"Pero yung kailangan talaga ng face-to-face na internship ay gawin natin sa latter part ng semester," she added.

Some graduating students have expressed fears they may have to delay their graduation, as the commission urged schools to move internships and OJT programs to the next semester.

Lockdown measures imposed during the coronavirus pandemic in the Philippines pushed educational institutions to conduct blended learning methods for the upcoming school year, with a mix of online and offline modes.

Face-to-face classes have been suspended in educational institutions since the community quarantine was imposed in parts of the Philippines in mid-March.

CHED previously urged colleges and universities to reschedule subjects that require physical presence of students during the second semester, usually held later in the year or the early part of the following year.