On May 10, 2022, the Department of Education (DepEd) released Memorandum No. 043, series of 2022 allowing the conduct of end-of-school year rites for Kinder, Grade 6, Grade 10, and Grade 12 from June 27 to July 2, 2022.
“I agree na i-allow ang face to face graduation, in fact, kita ang pinakaunang local government [unit] (LGU) sa tibook nasod nga nagbuhat og executive order, no objection sa face to face classes (I agree with the face to face graduation, in fact we are the first LGU that issued an executive order on no objection of the face to face classes),” Duterte-Carpio said during an interview on Disaster Radio on May 16, 2022.
According to DepEd’s memo, learners who pass the portfolio assessment in Alternative Learning System (ALS) Elementary and Junior High School levels, with the joint Memorandum DM-OUCI-2021-049, and ALS Senior High School (SHS) learners are also allowed to have their graduation.
DepEd said public schools that did not suspend classes shall follow the School Calendar and Activities for School Year 2021-2022 in line with the DepEd Order (DO), s. 2021 on the conduct of graduation rites between June 27 to July 2, 2022, and the Private Schools may follow their respective School Calendars.
However, the schools that declared suspension of classes following the DN-CI-2022-009, Reiterating the Policy on Academic Ease and Allowing the Suspension of Classes and Other teaching-related Activities amid the Surge in Covid-19 cases are encouraged to adjust the school calendar to ensure that the present school year’s number of days is consistent with Republic Act (RA) No. 11480 (An Act Amending Section 3 of RA 7797, otherwise known as “An Act to Lengthen the School Calendar from Two Hundred (200) Days to Nor More than Two Hundred Twenty (220) Class Days”) this would mean that schools are allowed to conduct rites from July 4 to 9, 2022.
DepEd emphasized that “schools must obtain parental consent for learners to attend the face-to-face ceremony.”
DepEd urged schools to take precautions in the conduct of rites to preserve the health, safety, and well-being of students, instructors, workers, parents, and other stakeholders.
DepEd reminded attendees that face masks must be worn throughout the event, a one-meter safe distance between individuals must be maintained, participants must sit in their assigned seats only, handshakes and other forms of physical contact are discouraged, and only the parents or one designated guardian may accompany a mover of a candidate for graduation.
“In assessing the viability of conducting SY 2021-2022 EOSY rites, public health and safety are still deemed the topmost concern amidst the ongoing progress in Covid-19 testing and vaccination. Hence, the scenarios projected by the Department of Health (DOH) and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), complemented by other credible sources and DepEd risk assessment, shall be considered,” DepEd said on their released Memorandum.
“Should the public health situation prevent the conduct of this year’s EOSY rites within the said week, schools, in consultation with the Parents-Teachers Association (PTA), may choose to reschedule or forego the activity,” DepEd added.
Meanwhile, schools in Alert levels 3,4, and 5 are encouraged to hold their graduation rites online. (KSD)
