Manila Mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso on Wednesday approved the University of Santo Tomas’ (UST) plan to hold limited face-to-face classes for its allied medical and health courses amid the health crisis.

UST officials led by vice-rector for academic affairs Cheryl Peralta, UST faculty of medicine dean Odette Maglinao, UST College of Rehabilitation Sciences dean Anne Aseron, as well as Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital director Merle Sacdalan presented to Domagoso their plans for the face-to-face classes while ensuring that health and safety protocols will be properly observed.

“Consider it approved. We will just follow the memoranda of CHED [Commission on Higher Education],” Domagoso told the UST officials.

CHED and the Department of Health (DOH) required higher education institutions who wanted to conduct physical classes to consult with their respective local government units and inform them of their plans without foregoing imposed minimum public health safety standards.

UST officials who visited Domagoso also laid out their contingency plans in case a student, faculty, or staff member starts to manifest Covid-19 symptoms.

Meanwhile, Domagoso told UST officials not to force students who refuse to participate in the face-to-face classes.

During the meeting, Domagoso said teachers are among those on the priority list of the city government for the inoculation.

“Teachers will be included in the first batch for the vaccine. Whether you’re a Manilan or a non-Manilan, as long as you’re working here in Manila, you will be included in the list for the vaccine,” he said.

He expressed optimism that when both teachers and parents are vaccinated against Covid-19, the chance of infections occurring in schools would decrease so students can safely go back to physically attending their classes. (PNA)