Courtesy of PTV

A group of Filipino professionals welcomes the government's decision to resume full face-to-face classes this school year.

Dr. Benito Atienza, vice president of Philippine Federation of Professional Associations, said schools must adhere to health protocols, such as wearing of mask and physical distancing.

"Kaya dapat maging handa ang ating mga eskuwelahan, ating mga magulang lalo na sa pagpasok ng ating mga bata," he said in a televised public briefing on Wednesday.

He encouraged parents to get their children vaccinated as soon as possible.

Atienza also called on authorities to prepare against the rising dengue cases and prevent leptospirosis following a string of floods in parts of the country.

• 'Wala nang atrasan': DepEd firm on Aug. 22 school opening

The Department of Education has set the opening of the next school year on Aug. 22. According to a DepEd order, public and private schools in basic education can implement distance and blended learning only until Oct. 31, 2022.

Starting Nov. 2, schools must shift to 5 days of in-person classes per week, regardless of the alert level status in their localities.

Latest DepEd data showed over 18.6 million students in basic education have registered for the coming school year. The figure is more than half of the agency's target of 28.6 million learners.

• More than 18.6 million learners enrolled for coming school year: DepEd