TROPICAL storm “Odette,” (international name Rai), will intensify into a typhoon as it nears the Philippine area of responsibility and is expected to slam into the vicinity of Caraga or Eastern Visayas by Thursday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration.

Weather forecaster Sheila Reyes said that as of 4 p.m. yesterday, Odette was 1,000 kilometers east of Mindanao, gradually intensifying its strength.

Reyes said it is expected to move westward over the Philippine Sea today, Wednesday, adding that typhoon signals are likely to be raised over the Visayas, large portions of Mindanao, and several areas in Southern Luzon.

President Duterte on Monday night directed local government units (LGUs) and government agencies to take necessary preparations in anticipation of the onslaught of Odette while Interior Secretary Eduardo Año reminded executives of areas within the path of the storm to be present in their respective jurisdictions before, during, and after the calamity.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the Department of Social Welfare and Development has readied some P951 million worth of family food packs and relief goods and standby funds.

“This tropical cyclone is forecast to reach typhoon category on Wednesday,” Reyes said, adding Odette may reach peak winds of around 155 kilometers per hour by Thursday morning or afternoon.

She said that in the next 24 hours, Odette will bring light to moderate with at times heavy rains over Caraga and Davao Oriental.

Reyes said that sea travel is risky for all types of seacrafts over the seaboards of Southern Luzon and Visayas, and the northern, eastern, and western seaboards of Mindanao.

Over 10,000 barangays in Mindanao, the Visayas and southern Luzon are at risk of flooding and landslides due to Odette, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council

Mark Timbal, NDRRMC spokesman, said residents in these areas may be evacuated if local officials see there is “imminent threat.”

“The MGB (Mines and Geosciences Bureau) reported that more than 10,000 barangays are flood prone, landslide prone and should have started preparations as early as over the weekend to ensure the safety of our countrymen,” said Timbal.

“The action we took is to remind the regional disaster councils and LGUs (local government units) to monitor and take action, to effect evacuation in these areas especially if the danger is imminent,” said Timbal.

As of yesterday, however, there were still no reports of evacuation in concerned areas.

Timbal said the NDRRMC has taken preparations against the weather disturbance, including the prepositioning of food packs for people who will be affected.

“On the part of the national disaster council, we have more than P900 million worth of relief items and stockpiles. This is more than enough to sustain our operation to help our countrymen in the communities who will be affected,” said Timbal.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard said some 1,066 passengers and 456 rolling cargoes have been stranded at the port of Matnog in Sorsogon as of yesterday afternoon.

PCG Commandant Adm. Leopoldo Laroya ordered PCG units to prepare for possible evacuation and search and rescue operations in areas that will be affected by the storm. — With Jocelyn Montemayor and Victor Reyes

ALL 28 schools in the National Capital Region tapped by the Department of Health to conduct face-to-face classes starting yesterday participated, with 2,300 students joining, according to the Department of Education.

DepEd Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan said personnel from the agency’s central and regional offices monitored the implementation of in-person classes for the first time in Metro Manila since March 2020 and “we have not received any adverse reports” so far.

“We have been monitoring all day,” Malaluan said, adding the return to classes of a limited number of students, which ends on December 22, was smooth and organized.

Malaluan added there are now 300 elementary and high schools, both public and private, conducting limited face-to-face classes nationwide, with nearly 7,000 students participating.

Last November 15, the DepEd started holding limited in-person classes nationwide, with 100 public schools and 18 private schools initially participating.

Malaluan said since the start of limited classes, no COVID cases involving students, teachers, and other school personnel have been recorded.

He said the technical working group of DepEd has been constantly communicating with the Department of Health and Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease regarding the Omicron variant of the deadly virus.

“DepEd will wait on the update of the DOH and AITF about the Omicron variant. Right now, we will stick to our guidelines. If there will be changes on the alert level of COVID-19 status, that’s the only time we will stop face-to-face classes,” Malaluan said, adding the DepEd will assess the situation when the participating schools and students take their Christmas vacation on December 22.

One of the schools that participated in the dry run in Metro Manila was the Pedro Cruz Elementary School in San Juan, with city officials led by Mayor Francis Zamora monitoring developments.

Zamora said precautionary measures were taken to assure the safety of the students, such as placing physical barriers on the seats of the students, thermal scanners, proper ventilation, and others.

“We want to ensure the safety of the students as well as the teachers and school staff by taking every precautionary measure during this test run of face-to-face classes,” Zamora said.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian called for continued vigilance as more schools joined the pilot implementation of limited face-to-face classes.

Gatchalian, who chairs the committee on basic education, said expanding the pilot limited in-face classes is a welcome move but it should go hand-in-hand with the accelerated vaccination of teachers and eligible students, sustained implementation of minimum public health standards, and regular COVID-19 testing for teachers.

“The expansion of the dry run of limited face-to-face classes is good news but we must continue to be careful and government should continue with its vaccination program, especially now that the world is facing the threat of the Omicron variant. Let us take advantage of the situation to learn how we can ensure that everyone will be safe,” he said. — With Raymond Africa and Christian Oineza

TWENTY months since in-person classes were suspended throughout the country due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, more than 2,000 public elementary and senior high school students in 28 schools in the National Capital Region (NCR) go back this morning to attend limited face-to-face classes in the region.

Wilfredo Cabral, officer-in-charge of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) office for the undersecretary of human resources, said Metro Manila is the last region in the country join the experimental in-person classes, which will end in January next year.

President Duterte approved the pilot run of limited face-to-face classes in areas with low COVID cases last September 20 upon the recommendation of the DepEd. Metro Manila is under Alert Level 2 until December 15.

The DepEd has approved the participation of 177 schools nationwide in the pilot run of the in-person classes, which started on November 15.

Cabral said the 28 public NCR schools underwent stringent preparations and have been issued their safety seals prior to their reopening today.

He said protocols and contingency plans have been put in place just in case students, teachers or school personnel show symptoms or test positive of COVID-19.

“One of the contingency plans (includes) barangays providing ambulances. (These) should be ready and should be placed near the schools,” he also said.

Cabral said the implementation of face-to-face classes will be suspended once a surge in cases is reported in any of Metro Manila’s city, and especially if the Omicron variant is detected.

The 28 participating public schools in Metro Manila are the Comembo Elementary School in Makati City, Putatan Elementary School and Tunasan National High School in Muntinlupa City, Don Galo Elementary School and La Huerta Elementary School in Parañaque City, Padre Zamora Elementary School in Pasay City, Ricardo P. Cruz Sr. Elementary School and Sen. Rene Cayetano Memorial Science and Technology High School in Taguig City, and Las Piñas National High School and Las Piñas City National Senior High School-Manuyo Campus in Las Piñas City.

In-person classes were also allowed at Amado T. Reyes Elementary School and Renato R. Lopez Elementary School in Mandaluyong City, St. Mary Elementary School and Tañong High School in Marikina City, Pedro Cruz Elementary School in San Juan City, Ugong National High School and Pasig Elementary School in Pasig City, Aurora A. Quezon Elementary School and Ramon Q. Avancena High School in Manila, Bagong Silangan Elementary School and Payatas B Elementary School in Quezon City, Andres Bonifacio Elementary School and Bagumbong Elementary School in Caloocan City, Santiago Syjuco Memorial Integrated Secondary School in Malabon City, Bangkulasi Senior High School and Filemon T Lizan Senior High School in Navotas City, and Roberta De Jesus Elementary School – Disiplina Village Bignay Extension and Tagalag Elementary School in Valenzuela City.

Records from the DepEd show that there are more than 27.2 million learners enrolled in public and private schools nationwide from Kindergarten until high school for school year 2021-2022.

METROPOLITAN Manila Development Authority Chairman Benhur Abalos Jr., yesterday said the reimplementation of the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program or number coding scheme in Metro Manila starts today, Wednesday, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. covering private vehicles only.

In a press conference at the MMDA headquarters in Makati City, Abalos said private vehicles with plates ending 1 and 2 are covered by the scheme every Monday, 3 and 4 every Tuesday, 5 and 6 every Wednesday, 7 and 8 every Thursday, and 9 and 0 every Friday.

Neomie Recio, MMDA Traffic Discipline Office director, said approximately 2,700 vehicles plying EDSA alone will be affected by the scheme.

Abalos said the reimplementation of the light truck ban with modification on EDSA, between Magallanes, Makati City and North Ave., Quezon City, both northbound and southbound, will be from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Mondays to Fridays, except holidays.

Light trucks refer to motor vehicles, whether for commercial use or not, with a gross capacity weight of 4,500 kilograms or below and having six or more tires.

Abalos said trucks with a gross capacity weight of above 4,500 kilograms are prohibited from EDSA, between Magallanes, Makati City and North Avenue, Quezon City, both northbound and southbound, except for garbage trucks, fuel trucks, and trucks carrying essential or perishable goods.

The reimplementation of the number coding scheme was approved by all the 17 Metro Manila mayors making up the Metro Manila Council, the policy making body of the MMDA.

AFTER being suspended for more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number coding scheme in Metro Manila is set to be reimplemented this week — with a slight modification.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Benhur Abalos yesterday said Metro mayors have unanimously approved the prohibition of motor vehicles on all major roads in the National Capital Region from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. anytime this week.

“The number coding scheme will be implemented any day this week during rush hour in the afternoon, 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. The resolution on the reimplementation of the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program or number coding scheme but with modification was already approved by the mayors of Metro Manila,” Abalos said.

Abalos said the modified number coding will be implemented from Monday to Friday, except holidays, and only covers private vehicles.

“Exempted from the scheme are public utility vehicles (PUVs), Transportation Network Vehicle Services (TNVS), motorcycles, garbage trucks, fuel trucks, motor vehicles carrying essential and perishable goods,” he added.

Abalos said stickers will be issued to TNVS so they could be easily identified.

Abalos added the implementation of the uniform light truck ban on EDSA and Shaw Boulevard will also resume this week.

Under the uniform light truck ban, trucks that have a gross capacity weight of 4,500 kilograms and below are prohibited from EDSA, Magallanes, Makati City until North Avenue, Quezon City, both northbound and southbound, from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Light trucks are also banned on Shaw Boulevard (Mandaluyong City and Pasig City) from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m.

“The resolution has yet to be published on the Official Gazette before its reimplementation,” Abalos said.

THREE out of 10 public schools in Zambales participating in the pilot run of face-to-face classes postponed opening yesterday after some of their teachers tested positive for COVID-19.

They are the San Marcelino National High School and Baliwet Elementary School, both located in the municipality of San Marcelino, and Banawen Elementary School l in the municipality of San Felipe, according to the Department of Education. Last Sunday, teachers at the three schools underwent COVID-19 antigen tests.

Seven other schools in the municipality of Botolan started classes after all 61 teachers tested negative and all preparatory requirements were complied with.

Aside from this slight hiccup, the opening of face-to-face classes in 11 regions nationwide for the first time since March 2020 went on smoothly, with the DepEd welcoming the participating students, teachers, and personnel.

The DepEd said 5,245 students nationwide participated in the “opening” of face-to-face classes.

Last September 20, President Duterte approved the pilot run of limited face-to-face classes in areas with low COVID cases upon the recommendation of the DepEd, which initially said the pilot testing will involve 100 public and 20 private schools.

“We are thankful for everyone who supported this key phase in our safe return to school advocacy, from the planning stage since 2020 to this monumental day,” DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones said in a statement.

Briones said the agency is grateful for the assistance of the Department of Health, Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases, child health experts, local government units, international and local partners, school personnel, parents, and other stakeholders for reinforcing the shared responsibility framework in the critical undertaking.

“As we take a huge step of reintroducing face-to-face classes amidst the public health situation, we are optimistic that our Bayanihan spirit will live on to ensure the safety of involved stakeholders and the success of this pilot run,” she said.

“In the coming weeks, more learners in public and private schools will follow suit as the President approved to increase the number of pilot participants,” she added.

The agency will conduct a press conference today, Tuesday, for an assessment and updates from the regions participating in the pilot run.

The agency also confirmed the presence of uniformed police armed with firearms inside one of the pilot schools, which was not identified.

The Education Department yesterday launched its mental health helpline system to give students, teachers and the public who are mentally and psychologically distressed an avenue to air their problems.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones said: “We prioritize the promotion and protection of the mental health and general welfare of our personnel and learners, especially amidst the challenges we face due to the (pandemic) crisis.”

Briones noted the said initiative was launched under the DepEd`s Disaster Risk Reduction Management Service (DRRMS).

She said all DepEd offices have been instructed to include and promote the national and regional helplines of the department’s partner organizations through its Memorandum No. 072, series of 2021.

These organizations can be reached through: Circle of Hope Community Services, Inc. : (+63) 917 882 2324, (+63) 908 891 5850, (+63) 925 557 0888, COVID-19 Mental Health Responders from the Masters Psychological Services:

https://www.facebook.com/theMastersPsych/photos/a.1783242525300758/2353920514899620/?type3&;theater, Hopeline PH: (02) 8804 46 73, (+63) 917 558 4673, (+63) 918 873 4673, Globe/TM toll-fee 2919, and The 700 Club Asia: (+63) 949 889 8138, (+63) 943 706 7633, (+63) 0943 145 4815, (+63) 917 836 1513, 02 8737 0700, 1-800-1-1888-8700. ;

“These helplines can provide various ways to support our learners and personnel. They may provide mental health and psychosocial support services, as well as wellness checks, and all helpline numbers will be updated every March and October of the year,” DRRMS Director Ronilda Co said. — Noel Talacay

THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) has asked the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to increase passenger capacity in public utility vehicles (PUVs) nationwide, and experiment on allowing 100 percent seating capacity in buses, jeepneys and trains in Metro Manila.

Steve Pastor, who is the agency’s assistant secretary for DOTr’s Road Transport and Infrastructure unit, said the agency has submitted its position paper to the IATF and is ready to defend its recommendation during its meeting on Thursday.

“The road sector has already submitted their formal position paper to increase the seating capacity from 50%, but if DOTr will decide, we want to have it 100% based on medical literature that is available. At the same time, we are ready to defend our position to IATF this Thursday… We need to propose this to (the) IATF because this is not only a matter of public transportation but also a matter of public health,” Pastor said.

Pastor said Metro Manila is the ideal place to pilot test the full resumption of public transport since it is now under Alert Level 3, which allows for more businesses to open and less strict mobility, and because of its high full vaccination rate of 81.4 percent.

“Metro Manila is the ideal place to test the proposal considering that 81.4% of its population is now fully vaccinated against COVID-19,” Pastor said, adding that “evidence also suggest that high vaccination rate prompts an increase in allowed PUV capacity.”

The transport executive also cited a DOTr “rapid analysis of available data” that involved a review of the 7-day average cases per 1 million population and public transport capacity that covered the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, China, Australia, Vietnam, and Malaysia).

“It was found out that public transport capacity has no significant correlation with the number of COVID-19 cases,” Pastor said.

He likewise pointed to several relevant medical literatures which showed that “reliance on complete face mask use and partial hand sanitizer use were proven enough to contain three very modest COVID-19 waves (in Hanoi, Vietnam) while preserving normal bus services. Other studies have also revealed that passengers in the high-risk zones (seats in the same row with an infected passenger and within three rows) had moderate but not significantly higher risk, and that ‘rigid’ safe distancing rules are an oversimplification based on outdated science and experiences of past viruses.”

Besides, he added, “public utility jeepneys and buses operating in Metro Manila are well-ventilated.”

Pastor said the DOTr has been implementing a 50 percent capacity in public transport since the start of travel restrictions in the country last year, which has crippled the livelihood of public transport drivers and operators.

“The recommendation to increase passenger capacity in public transport is one of the measures being considered by the DOTr to help drivers and operators amid the pandemic and the continued increase of fuel prices,” he said.

He added: “Increasing passenger capacity will mean a higher revenue for the public transport sector. This will be a welcome development considering the increase in expenses brought by increasing fuel prices.”

Meanwhile in Baguio City, Mayor Benjamin Magalong announced that the country’s summer capital is reopening its doors to fully vaccinated individuals after nearly two months of suspending tourism due to a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Minor-companions of vaccinated tourists will also be allowed to travel to the city but would be required to present negative antigen or RT-PCR tests for those aged 12 to 17 years old.

Magalong said children aged 11 years old and below shall be tested with their parents’ or guardians’ consent.

Leasure travels, he said, are subject to strict compliance to minimum public health standards like the wearing of face mask and shield, social distancing and frequent hand sanitizing.

The city closed the local tourism industry last September 3 due to rising cases of COVID-19 infections.

Last Oct. 4, the Baguio Tourism Council asked the city government to re-open tourism to fully vaccinated tourists, noting the lockdown has wrought havoc on the economy, leading to the loss of jobs and livelihood.

“Hopefully our reopening will spur economic activity in our city which had almost been nil for the past two months because of the restrictions that we imposed to manage the cases,” Magalong said.

The city said tourists who want to travel to Baguio City must schedule their visit via the city’s visita.baguio.gov.ph at least a day before their trip and secure a QR-coded tourist pass.

“For adults, upload and bring your vaccination card/certificate, full vaccination will mean two weeks after 2nd/last dose. Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated adults are not allowed,” the city said in an advisory on its website.

“Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated minors aged 12 to 17 must present negative results of antigen or RT-PCR test conducted within 72 hours prior to arrival or during health screening at the City Triage. Minors aged 11 and below shall be tested at the option of their accompanying parents or adult guardian,” it added.

After passing the checkpoint, tourists must proceed to triages set up for health screening and verification of tourist passes and documents.

“Symptomatic visitors, regardless of vaccination status or test result, will be immediately tested and isolated, and referred to health officials for further action and advice prior to visitor’s return to point of origin,” it added.

Baguio City is currently under general community quarantine with heightened restrictions and has been seeing a drop in COVID-19 infections in recent days. The city has already recorded 28,930 infections with 810 active cases and 628 deaths.

As Baguio City reopened to outsiders, Lubang, Occidental Mindoro Mayor Michael Orayani yesterday said the town has been placed under a two-week lockdown, starting today, due to a rise in COVID-19 cases over the past several days.

Orayani said active cases in the island town of 20,000 people is now at 364, from just 40 last October 18. The increase, he said, was due to the conduct of mass testing that started last week.

Orayani said the local government requested the conduct of the mass testing from testing czar Vince Dizon due to fears that the Delta variant of COVID-19 has entered the town. — With Victor Reyes

SIXTY more public schools from 10 regions in the country have been tapped to join the pilot run of limited face-to-face classes set to start on November 15, bringing the total to 90, according to Education Secretary Leonor Briones.

“Right now, we have identified 90 public schools to push through face-to-face learning.

These schools are now ready to start the pilot of physical learning”, Briones said in a statement.

Out of the 90, 14 are in CARAGA, 10 each in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Vally and Eastern Visayas while the rest are in Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao Region, Northern Mindanao, Calabarzon, and Soccsksargen.

Briones said the ultimate target of the DepEd is to tap at least 100 public schools to participate in the pilot test.

She said the DepEd is now preparing to conduct the necessary training and orientation for parents, local government units, students, school personnel and partners, and school inspections that will be part of the pilot run.

Last September 20, President Duterte approved the pilot run of limited face-to-face classes in areas with low COVID cases upon the recommendation of the DepEd, which initially said the pilot testing will involve 100 public and 20 private schools.

Briones said the agency is still in the process of identifying 20 private schools that will be tapped for the pilot run of face-to-face classes on November 22.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said the government should allow private schools to resume face-to-face classes since they have more capability to do so as compared to public schools.

“Let’s allow private schools because they have the luxury of space and they’re willing to put in the investment to make their schools safe…I’ve talked to a lot of private schools and they’re ready to invest and ready to open,” Gatchalian, the Senate basic education committee chairman, said in an interview with ANC.

The DepEd had earlier identified 100 public and 20 private schools for the pilot face-to-face classes, but later said that only 59 public schools were given the green light by authorities.

The number went down further to 30 as 29 schools were not allowed by their respective LGUs and the parents to join the pilot run.

Briones reiterated that the main criteria for the schools to qualify for the pilot run is that the LGUs must agree and allow the pilot face-to-face classes in the schools in their area; the facilities of the DepEd and the schools are ready and conducive for the pilot face-to-face classes such as the right distancing among students during class, the availability of water and medicines, among others; and the consent of parents to allow their children to participate. — With Jocelyn Montemayor and Raymond Africa

MINORS aged 17 and below are now allowed to go out of their homes provided they are accompanied by their parents or adult guardians.

Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Benhur Abalos Jr. yesterday said the Metro Manila Council, made up or NCR mayors, issued a resolution imposing standardized and unified restrictions on the intrazonal and interzonal travel of minors under the Alert Level 3 system of quarantine that took effect last October 16.

Abalos said that under the resolution, minors “17 years old and younger and those belonging to vulnerable population are allowed to access essential goods, and services, work permitted, individual outdoor exercise, and intrazonal and interzonal travel in Metro Manila.”

The resolution took effect yesterday, Tuesday.

Abalos said minors going out of their homes should always carry identification cards, along with their parents and guardians.

He stressed that minors are still prohibited from going to malls, except when they have appointments for services. He said malls found violating this face cancelation of their licenses.

Abalos said this hopefully will prevent another COVID surge.

“We want to have a Merry Christmas and, above all, we want to prevent the surge of COVID infection in Metro Manila. We cannot afford another surge,” he said. — Noel Talacay