PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos reminded teachers as well as learners of the continuous adherence to minimum health protocols to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) amid the conduct of face-to-face (F2F) classes.”It has always been my belief that learning will be more effective inside classrooms where students fully interact with their teachers and fellow students,” Marcos said in a statement as he welcomed the return of the students physically in schools.”Since the threat of Covid-19 is still in our midst, it is important that our teachers and students continue to observe the minimum health protocols to ensure that they remain healthy while learning new things,” he added.Marcos said that with Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio at the helm of DepEd, it is guaranteed that the learners will finally get the quality education that the parents want for their children.In some schools, students, particularly at the pre-elementary level, tend to remove their face masks.Department of Education (DepEd) Spokesperson Michael Poa said it is normal as students in these levels are children and they tend to get irritated by face masks.He said they will remind the schools about the mandatory wearing of face masks during the in-person classes.He said the agency will urge the teachers, particularly in pre-elementary, to teach the children the importance of wearing face masks to protect themselves from Covid-19 infection.During the opening of classes on Monday morning, the physical distancing protocol was violated as students, mostly with their parents or guardians, flocked to the schools.Poa, however, maintained that the opening of School Year 2022-2023, which also marks the resumption of F2F classes after two years of online learning, has so far been “peaceful and safe.” (SunStar Philippines)