No less than the Provincial Governor Rogelio J. Espina, alongside with the other member of the provincial Inter-Agency Task Force and stakeholders officially approved and supported the gradual reopening of limited face-to-face classes of the Biliran Province State University today during the launching of the BiPSU Ligtas Balik Eskwela Convergence.

Third and fourth year students of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program will be the first batch of students that will participate the phased implementation of the limites face-to-face classes this Monday, December 13.

The said program has been inspected already by the CHED-DOH-IATF inspection team to assess its compliance to the requirements set forth for the gradual reopening such as management and oversight, institutional policies and protocols, controls, and continuity plans.

Other stakeholders comprising of the Provincial and Local Government Units (LGUs) represented by their respective Local Chief Executive of the eight municipalities of Biliran, faculty and student-representatives, officials from the different government agencies including Department of Health, Department of Interior and Local Government, Philippine National Police, representatives from boarding house establishment owners, among others also expressed their support for the conduct of limited face to face classes.

The BiPSU Ligtas Balik Eskwela Convergence have gathered all stakeholders and partner agencies to ensure the safe, secure and inclusive reopening of classes and avenue to discuss issues and concerns regarding the safety and security of the students.

Dr. Victor C. Cañezo, BiPSU President underscored the importance of the collective efforts of all key players in the communities to ensure that the conduct of the pilot implementation is successful.

"I  am very much thankful to the local leaders and the people of the Biliran Province for such an overwhelming support and positively accepting the challenge to reopen the doors of the university to the students as it strongly signifies that we are really thriving amid pandemic," he added.

Moreover, during his message, Canezo, Jr., presented that Phase 2 implementation of the limited face-to-face classes is scheduled on January 2022 until the end of the first semester on February 2022 to be participated by students with laboratory courses, graduating students and students who cannot avail of the virtual classes across all programs and schools; while the Phase 3 implementation will be slated for the second semester of the current academic year on March 2022, following weekly cyclical schedule of classes of the schools assigned to participate in the limited face-to-face classes.

The limited face-to-face classes in HEI in the province has been allowed pursuant to Local Executive Order No. 35, series of 2021.