THE Department of Education (DepEd) yesterday said extra-curricular activities, including athletics meets such as this year’s Palarong Pambansa, and field trips will be postponed because of health risks posed by the novel coronavirus (nCoV).
Education Secretary Leonor Briones said around 30,000 students are participating in the Palarong Bansa, and their families are also expected to attend the event to be held in Marikina City in April.
“So right now, the policy is the temporary postponement of all these activities because we will be drawing in learners, teachers… family members from all regions,” Briones said during a Senate hearing.
She said the department is also discouraging field trips because of the exposure in public places.
Briones stressed that the agency is not forbidding schools to hold field trips.
“We’re saying that on a weekly basis, we’ll be getting bulletins from the Department of Health kung pwede ng magbiyahe (if travel will be allowed),” she said.
