“Dapat ibalik ninyo ang face-to-face (F2F) classes so that mapuslan ang bakuna sa mga bata (Face-to-face classes should resume first so that the children can benefit from the vaccine),” said Duterte-Carpio during her radio segment interview on Monday, January 31, 2022.
The mayor added that she may not let her kids be vaccinated until the schools have reopened for face-to-face classes, saying it will be pointless for younger children to be vaccinated when they are only staying at home.
“Magpabakuna ta karon, pagkahuman asa mana mangadto ang mga bata, naa ra mana sila sa balay… so ibalik niyo muna yung f2f classes para maging useful ang bakuna (The children could be vaccinated but in the end, they have nowhere to be but at home. We should have F2F classes so the children can benefit from the vaccine),” she said.
The mayor also said that the vaccination rollout should be held a few months before the first day of classes to delay the need for booster doses before schools have reopened.
She said it will give parents the time to plan ahead for the vaccination of their children.
“Pag abot og F2F, eight months after, bahaw na ang bakuna sa sulod sa lawas, mag booster na pud, mag roll out na pud. Mag sabot sa siguro tang tanan no na abrihan ang eskwelahan sa F2F para ang parents maka target na sila less than six months, magpabakuna na sila sa ilang anak (When we start the F2F classes eight months after the vaccination, by then the children will need the booster doses and we will have to facilitate another rollout. We should first discuss to open the schools, so parents can have their kids vaccinated in less than 6 months before the F2F classes),” Duterte-Carpio said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Education has already agreed that City Government of Davao can propose more schools to be part of F2F classes. No private educational institution, however, has applied.
The mayor said preparations were delayed due to the surge of cases and the anticipated Omicron variant, thus applications will be submitted once the surge has escalated.
Additionally, potential schools will be in barangays that were only minimally affected by the surge brought upon by the Omicron variant.
