Category: College of Arts & Sciences

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Former CNU educators embody the ‘Normalite’ excellence

Former Cebu Normal University (CNU) faculty members from across the globe shared their experiences and how they adapted to the new normal as they gathered virtually (for the first time in so many years) to commemorate the 118th founding anniversary of the institution.

A session called CNU Family Interaction featuring the former educators of CNU who are now based in different counties across three continents was live-streamed last Saturday, June 27 at the CNU Public Information Office (PIO) Facebook account.

The session was facilitated by Dr. Marita Nalam and Dr. Raul Rossell, and was participated in by Dr. Nancy Villanueva, Mrs. Elena Dumangas, Mr. Nixon Go, Mrs. Maria Lilibeth Abaquita, Dr. Rico Paja, Dr. Arlene Bachinela, Dr. Ernest Yu, Dr. Fides Ybanez, Dr. Amelianita Jugasan, Mr. Ramil Orbita, Dr. Patrocinio Malazarte Jr., Dr. Gil Baguio, Dr. Pops Singson, Dr. Gina Lopez, Dr. Editha Obejero, Mrs. Marivic Quiachon, and Mr. Arcelieto Quiachon.

“Cebu Normal University is a home for successful educators, a home for topnotchers, and it offers high-quality education that prepares students to be globally competent,” Villanueva said as something she will always remember about CNU.

She said that she is thankful to have worked with competent teachers who prepared her to be successful in her teaching career abroad. 

“I was very happy when I got the chance to become part of the faculty which is a way for me to give back to how CNU has shaped and molded me as a professional,” Nalam said. 

Nalam is also an alumna of the University where she finished her elementary, high school, and graduate studies. She is currently teaching in Manitoba, Canada. 

Lopez said that it was tenacity that made her survive for 15 years now in a foreign land. She said that she would have succumbed to pressure and would have easily gone back home had it not been because of her experiences in CNU. 

Lopez admitted feeling guilty for leaving the University and shared that she would join programs that are still connected to the country. She has now considered herself as part of those who helped float the economy of the Philippines. 

Dr. Bibiana Isok, CNU Faculty Association Incorporated (FAI) President, who convened the session said that had she been the administrator back then, she would have stopped the teachers from leaving. But she also said that it was also a way of giving chance to others which the former teachers agreed.

Adjustment to the ‘new normal’

Dumangas, who is a teacher now in South Korea said she does a lot of activities, homework, and assignments now that everybody has entered this ‘new normal’. She also shared that what is nice is that they have a system where they could just upload their lessons in video format for the students to watch.

Abaquita, who now teaches in Australia said they make use of web-based software also but are already back to the face-to-face mode of instructional delivery. 

Nalam said that it was not a difficult transition for them in Canada because they have already been practicing blended learning. She said that they have a portal where teachers can input their exams in different types.

Messages  

Nalam said that CNU has exemplified “the real essence of brilliance, significance to community, and excellence” and for that she will remain proud as a Normalite.

Bachinela congratulates the University for keeping stronger each year through the numerous accomplishments it has achieved locally, regionally, and nationally. She said it looks like CNU is going international also. 

Gil said that everything he is right now – as an educator and as a person – he owes it to CNU. He said that it is a great pleasure to be a Normalite and to be a professor of CNU.

“You are indeed a capability-builder and all those times that we were there, you built us up. People all over the world always remember CNU and what we got from there,” Lopez said.

A recording of the CNU Family Interaction can also be viewed at the CNU PIO official YouTube channel. (JDF)

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CNU Alumni to the world: Testimonials of excellence

Crimson and gold, which signify excellence, inevitably become part of every Normalite’s identity after they graduate from Cebu Normal University (CNU).

This is proven true yet again as some CNU alumni who have already conquered various corners of the globe gave their testament on how they took excellence with them through the talk, CNU Alumni to the World and for the World which was live-streamed last Monday, June 22, at the CNU Public Information Office (PIO) Facebook account.

Alumni of then Cebu State College (CSC) now CNU shared how their formative years and growth in the institution has enabled and prepared them to be world-class educators, leaders, and advocates.   

Dr. Nerissa Linell Joie Tago Calub, CNU alumni, former Assistant Schools Division Superintendent of Department of Education (DepEd) Cebu Province Division, and now Education Administrator IV of the New York City Department of Education organized the talk called Conversations with the CNU alumni in North America that includes USA and Canada. 

“Your presence in the United States is contributory to that pride that Cebu Normal University is indeed successful in its mission to produce quality graduates…proving to the entire world that CNU alumni are always great,” Dr. Ramir Uytico, CNU Federation of Cebu Normal University Alumni Association Incorporated (FCNUAAI) President said.

The conversations was facilitated by Calub and was participated in by: Ms. JohJoh Seno Demol-Jenae, Mathematics Teacher of Bronx International High School in the New York City Department of Education; Dr. Amelianita Jugasan, Grade 1 Teacher of Prince George County Public Schools in Maryland, USA; Mr. Melvin Damaolao, Assistant Principal of Bronx International High School in the New York City Department of Education; Mr. Nixon Go, Assistant Nurse Manager of Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Walnut Creek Medical Center in California USA; Mr. Marcelo Inot, Math Teacher of New Utrecht High School in the New York City Department of Education; Atty. Alberto Montefalcon Jr., Immigration Attorney of Montefalcon Law Offices in USA and the Philippines; Atty. Rhigel Jay Tan, Assistant Professor at the School of Nursing at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; and Atty. Marco Tomakin, Immigration Attorney of the Law Office of Marco FG Tomakin in Albany, New York, USA.

The talk was conducted as part of the 118th Foundation Celebration of the University and is the second portion of the discussion on how the University has been leading in the new normal in relevance to this year’s foundation anniversary theme, Thriving, Leading, and Serving in the New Normal. 

Read related article: [Former student leaders motivate Normalites] 

“CNU has equipped me with the necessary tools to persevere and become productive in my teaching profession. This is because Cebu Normal University has instilled in me how to cope with the demands of my work and to balance with my responsibilities for my family,” Inot said. 

Inot has spent seven years as a classroom teacher, and eight years as an administrator in the country before he decided to migrate to a different country. He said he took the risk after he was offered a job in New York even if it means “back to square one” to provide a good life for his family. He said he took four licensure exams to be able to stay and be given a permanent teaching position in the US. 

He is the current President of the Association of Fil-Am Teachers of America Inc. or AFTA, the premier Filipino-American Teacher organization in the US.

Damaolao said that being resourceful, resilient, and adaptable are the significant learnings he has acquired as a Normalite.  

He said one must find out first what he or she loves to do and to work towards it to become successful. He encouraged Normalites to create doable and attainable goals. He also recommended that one must find balance in life, work hard and still have time for family and friends. He said one should also not be afraid to fail to succeed.

“Know what you want to do. Don’t just trust that chances will bring you there,” Dr. Tan also said.

“What you think is best for you and what you define life will be will get you there,” he also added.

Tan has spent 20 years at CNU as a student from kindergarten to graduate school. He claims the University to have instilled in him the passion for learning and the quest to be innovative and creative.

Jugasan also encouraged the Normalite community to never stop learning and to seize every opportunity to enrich oneself since learning continues as long as we live.

She reminded Normalites to enjoy the present moment still since tomorrow is never a promise to anybody. She also advised to wisely pick one’s battles in life because not all are worth fighting for. She said it is also a human need to be appreciated, so one should celebrate success also and pray hard.

Jugasan was a former Professor and Board Secretary of CNU before migrating to the US.

A recording of the CNU Alumni to the World and for the World can also be viewed at the CNU PIO official YouTube channel. (JDF)

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Former student leaders motivate Normalites

10 Normalite student leaders share their insights on leadership in celebration of the 118th founding anniversary of Cebu Normal University (CNU) to inspire students and aspiring student leaders on how to face the upcoming academic year ahead with the new normal.

A talk on Student Leadership in CNU: Insights for the New Normal was live-streamed last Monday, June 22 at the CNU Public Information Office (PIO) Facebook account. 

Former student leaders of then Supreme Student Government (SSG) now Supreme Student Council (SSC) recalled and shared their experiences of being a Student Regent of CNU, and how it made an impact on their lives.  

These student leaders are: Atty. Mario Dennis Calvo, CNU-SSG President A.Y. 2006-2007; Dr. Michelle Mae Olvido, CNU-SSG President A.Y. 2008-2009; Mr. Marck Kenneth Albiso, CNU-SSG President A.Y. 2010-2011; Mr. Glenn Brigoli, CNU-SSC President A.Y. 2012-2013; Atty. Danrey Cabataña, CNU-SSC President A.Y. 2013-2014; Ms. Evangeline Yrat, CNU-SSC President A.Y. 2014-2015; Ms. Janvarica Acop, CNU-SSC President A.Y. 2016-2017; Mrs. Lesieg Lyn Ann Macachor, CNU-SSC President A.Y. 2017-2018; and Ms. Anne Marion Judilla, CNU-SSC President A.Y. 2018-2019. The talk show was hosted by Hon. Neil Joseph Iyog, the incumbent CNU-SSC President (A.Y. 2019-2020).

The former presidents then took turns in answering a set of questions recollecting why they chose to run for the position, the challenges they encountered within their term and their personal struggles, and how they overcame it. They also shared how their experiences as a student leader influenced their decisions that led them to where they are at the present moment.

They also encouraged the students to be resilient with the ever-changing demands and needs of the present time, to use whatever learning opportunities available, and to never give up.

“Education happens anytime, anywhere,” Judilla said.  

She shared that the mode of delivering education to students will change perhaps because of the health crisis, but learning should still continue.  

“Trust that the people who are working to make sure that education continues to be of quality are also doing their job,” Olvido said.

She also encouraged students to focus on their circle of influence; on what they can do to alleviate or keep themselves from anxiety that most people are facing. She believes that what sets Normalites apart from others is the attitude of being “kugihan” or hardworking. 

“A CNU student was not built for the easy,” she said.  

The Higher Education Connect (HEdConnect) was also launched by the end of the talk. HEdConnect is a forum wherein Higher Education Institutions converse about the education landscape in the new normal.

HEdConnect is spearheaded by the University to virtually gather educators and education stakeholders to discuss ways to handle the challenges in the education sector brought by the pandemic. The first session of HEdConnect will be live-streamed on June 30, 2020, 1:30 PM at the CNU PIO Facebook account.           

A full video of the talk on Student Leadership in CNU: Insights for the New Normal may also be viewed at the CNU PIO official YouTube account of the University. (JDF) 

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CNU to conduct 1st webinar series

Cebu Normal University (CNU) will conduct its first webinar series to be attended by all faculty members in the University to prepare for the new normal in education come academic year 2020-2021.

The Webinar Series on Synchronous and Asynchronous Teaching and Learning for CNU faculty members will take place on May 29 to June 5, 2020. 

Synchronous teaching and learning (T-L) is a form of online teaching where teachers and students may have a real-time interaction with their class discussions through the use of chat rooms and other online platforms.

Asynchronous T-L is another form of distance learning but does not necessarily require real-time interaction online. In this mode, the students are to perform certain learning activities and submit their proofs of learning in any given time through email or online forms.

The conduct of the webinar series was spearheaded by CNU Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) Dr. Daisy Palompon in preparation for the reframing of teaching and learning processes brought by the pandemic.

Palompon said that students’ learning should not be compromised with the uncertainties that might occur in the future.

The upcoming webinar series will be the first phase out of the three phases of the Innovative Flex Learning Online Academic Training (iFLOAT). 

iFLOAT aims “to expose and train faculty members on the different approaches on module development and learning management systems for future directions in the academic approaches on teaching and learning,” Palompon said. 

The first phase of the iFLOAT – Upskilling and Rewiring is composed of a four-part webinar series. The series is composed of four topics, namely: Flexible Learning: An Approach to Module Development; Google Classroom as Online Teaching-Learning Platform; Interactive Module Development; and Neo Learning Management System (LMS) as Online Teaching-Learning Platform. 

Trainers of the webinar series will come from the internal experts of the University. The webinar series will also serve as peer mentoring among the CNU faculty members, Palompon said. 

Electronic certificates will be provided to the participants of the webinar series after completing and submitting the evaluation forms of each topic online. The recorded version of the webinar series will be uploaded in the official Youtube account of the University and will be nested in its official website so that the public can also have access to it. (JDF)

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CNU makes sure no student fails this sem

Cebu Normal University (CNU) has adopted a unique modification to the mass promotion concept as it announced the ending of the current school semester through its Strategic Action amid Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Modified Academic Plan (MAP).

Read related article: [CNU decides to end the current school semester]
    
“None of the students will be declared failed this semester, however, they are given the chance to comply [with their] academic requirements for one year,” Dr. Daisy Palompon, Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) said.

“Faculty members can opt to use the midterm rating as basis for the final rating,” Palompon said as stated in the MAP for undergraduate and graduate studies.

Alternative assessments and home-based tasks given by the teachers can also be used in the computation of grades for all students.

Read: [CNU Strategic Actions Amid COVID-19]

“Students need to have a report of rating at the end of the semester since this will have implications for their qualification in their future employment; moreover, there are students who are also aspiring for honors or are currently having their scholarships which require ratings as basis for the continuation of their privileges as scholars,” Palompon said. 

“In [the usual] mass promotion, teachers will only report PASSED in the end-of-semester academic report of the students,” she said. 

According to Mr. Elvin Ruiz, College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) faculty, ending the semester and having students comply with certain requirements instead of mass promoting students is the most appropriate decision.

“While mass promotion is democratic, it may not be fair,” he said. 

He said that the students’ midterm grade must be taken into consideration especially for those students who did their level best in their academic subjects.  

Ruiz said that students also have to understand that just because mass promotion was not done, does not mean their demands were not heard or understood.

“The Admin sought to look for the most appropriate course of action that will not only benefit the students but also the entire CNU community and its stakeholders,” he said. 

Ms. Sheena Marie Lopez, a Bachelor of Technology and Livelihood Education (BTLEd) 2 student said that the given one year period for students to comply with the academic requirements is agreeable especially for those who are having a hard time accessing the internet to catch up with the submission of requirements.

She said that some students have parents who are on no work, no pay arrangement and are severely affected by the health crisis. She said that she would rather spend on food than buy load for internet connection. She said that not all students even have smartphones and may be left behind in submitting class activities.  

Lopez said that as a student, it is still necessary to submit requirements to make up for their final grade. She said that she will conform with the decisions of her professors, but she hopes that the teachers would be considerate with the happenings brought by the pandemic. 

“We are compassionate especially amidst tribulations, but uncompromising in our pursuit for excellence,” Ruiz said. (JDF)

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CNU to hold phone interviews

Cebu Normal University (CNU) will conduct phone or online interviews for the first year qualifiers of AY 2020-2021 as the new normal calls for it to prevent the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). 

The phone or online interviews will take place from May 18 – June 12, 2020. The pre-enrollment period will follow afterward from July 27 – August 13, 2020 where qualifiers are asked to submit their requirements in the University. 

Read: [1st Year Qualifiers Schedule of Phone/Online Interview & Pre-enrollment]

Faculty members from different colleges will conduct the interview through the phone. The qualifiers are advised to keep their lines open during the interview schedule.

Those who would like to change or update their mobile numbers are advised to contact the respective college department where they submitted their application or send them an email. The contact information can be found on the results posted at the CNU Public Information Office (PIO) Facebook account.

According to Mr. James Louies Un, Psychology department faculty, the interview is a way to confirm the qualifiers’ intent to enroll and gauge how interested they are in doing so. At the same time, it is a way to give the list of pre-enrollment requirements to the qualifiers.

The interview is also a chance for applicants to meet their future professors. Further, it is an avenue for applicants to decide if they really wish to proceed with their chosen degree program or consider pursuing something else. 

Mr. Louiechi Von Mendoza, Public Governance department faculty, cited possible drawbacks of phone interviews and said that there might be a possibility that the students may not be reached or a loss of signal may take place. 

He said that inaccurate or outdated contact numbers of the qualifiers may be a minor risk too. He also said that the phone interview will likely lessen the chance of really knowing the qualifiers. According to him, there are times when interviewers look into aspects such as the qualifiers’ composure and other nonverbal cues which other degree programs require, and the qualifiers’ eager interest with the limited slots.

“We are left with no [other] option at this time of pandemic,” Mendoza said. 

He said that he is in favor of conducting phone interviews despite its setbacks rather than having no interviews at all. 

The qualifiers and the public are strongly advised to follow the general guidelines when visiting the University as stipulated in the CNU Strategic Actions Amid COVID-19 once the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) is lifted.

Read: [CNU Strategic Actions Amid COVID-19]

(JDF)

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1st Year Qualifiers Schedule of Phone/Online Interview & Pre-enrollment

Attention: First Year Qualifiers for AY 2020-2021

Schedule of phone/online Interview and Pre-enrollment

INTERVIEW SCHEDULE                                                 May 18 – June 12, 2020

Note: For the interview, a faculty interviewer will contact the student qualifier through mobile phone. Qualifiers are then advised to keep their lines (the ones they provided in the application form) open from May 18-June 12.

Updated as of July 1, 2020
Pre-enrolment schedule has been changed from July 6 – 31, 2020. Please keep posted for the details of the enrolment process.

REQUIREMENTS

The following requirements are to be submitted to the University during the pre-enrollment schedule:

  • Medical Certificate (from a government or private physician)
  • Original Senior High School Report card with LRN (learner’s reference number)
  • Original Copy of Certificate of Good Moral Character
  • Original Copy of NSO with receipt
  • Photocopy of NCAE Result (if available)
  • Expanded Long Brown Envelope
  • 2 mailing Ordinary Long White Envelopes
  • 2 pieces 2X2 ID picture (recent photo)
  • Postage Stamps (worth Php 30)
  • Personal Data Sheet
  • Commitment Form

For those qualifiers who have changed their mobile number, please contact:

Medellin Campus
Mobile number: 0965-347-4841 or 0999-107-6105
Email address: medellincampus@cnu.edu.ph

Balamban Campus
Mobile number: 0948-576-8976 or 0946-200-3819
Email address: balambancampus@cnu.edu.ph

College of Teacher Education (CTE)
Mobile number 0995-976-9382 or 0932-639-8715
Email address: mariahermana11@gmail.com

College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
Mobile number: 0956-599-0256
Email address: cnucas@cnu.edu.ph

College of Nursing (CN)
Mobile number: 0923-295-8851 | 0936-986-7469 |0977-778-4637
Email address: cn@cnu.edu.ph

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Teaching-learning in light of COVID-19, CNU’s challenges and response

The class suspension during the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) brought by Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) health crisis has deferred regular classes in schools and has urged educators to explore learning strategies that could better engage students without them being physically present.

According to Dr. Daisy Palompon, Cebu Normal University (CNU) Vice President for Academic Affairs, the COVID-19 health crisis is a circumstance at which alternative ways of learning can be introduced.

Palompon said that the blended learning approach is done in most classes where traditional and online learning is combined; however, in the situation of COVID-19 health crisis, not all teachers and students have full access to the necessary technologies.

Read related article: [Teaching-learning challenges amid COVID-19]

She said that structurally, our region is not ready for full online learning since not all areas have access to internet or even mobile phone signals.

“Online courses require the readiness assessment of the learners which include the availability of ICT gadgets and a strong internet connection.” Palompon said.

“The use of online learning is indeed a very good alternative for face-to-face learning; however, there are competencies which could not be learned through online learning alone,” she added.

She said that there are still courses that require practicum, related learning experience, or On-the-Job Training (OJT) such as the development of the art and skills of teaching and nursing care among others.

It is not new

Palompon said that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have already been encouraged to introduce innovations in learning strategies through seamless learning with other learners around the globe. 

“The principle of which is that expertise may not only be learned in our local HEIs but could also be found in our neighboring countries. And that learning could not only be done by actual classroom experience but can also take place in virtual learning set-ups,” Palompon said.

She said that exploring effective ways of learning for the new generations of learners is encouraged by taking advantage of their interests in the use of technology. Hence, blended learning was introduced such as the use of flipped classrooms. 

“Alternative ways of learning are also introduced to enable more potential students who cannot be present in the physical classroom due to work demands and other household concerns [to continue learning], hence, online learning or distance learning came about,” Palompon said.

“Learning is dynamic and it continues for every individual. CNU has proposed proactive measures for the academic needs of the students,” she added.

According to Palompon, COVID-19 has created a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) situation. Hence, our proactive measures would be as flexible as the nature of the health crisis [itself]. 

Way forward

“The whole academic community will review our course map before the start of the next school year and will be reintegrating the competencies not attained within this semester in related courses by next school year,” Palompon said. 

“Developing an integrated approach for teaching-learning will best be explored with the foremost consideration of using platforms that will not require much internet use or ICT facilities,” she added. (JDF)

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CNU educators help make PPEs

Cebu Normal University (CNU) educators utilized 3D printers in the University to make face shields donated to health workers and medical frontliners in the city.

Ms. Clare Maristela Galon (left) and Mr. Allan Roy Elnar (right) poses a wacky photo wearing the PPEs. (Contributed photo)

Physics teachers Ms. Clare Maristela Galon and Mr. Allan Roy Elnar, both from the Chemistry and Physics Department of Cebu Normal University (CNU) made use of the 3D printers in the school’s Physics laboratory to make frames used in making face shields.

Galon said that they thought of maximizing the two 3D printers in the Physics laboratory to make Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to be donated to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) frontliners.    

Galon said that she and Elnar are assisted by their co-teachers, Mr. Gibson Maglasang and Mr. Carl Patrick Casas, both from the Physics Department, in making the face shields.

She said that they have been using Polylactic Acid (PLA), a formula used to create plastic films, food containers, and the like to print the shield frames. The shield frames were designed using an Auto Computer Aided Design (CAD), a software application for modelling, Galon said. 

Acetates coming from the University’s Supply office were used as the actual face shields. Galon shared that they first utilized rubber bands for the retainers but soon upgraded it into garters with the aid of donations coming from the Innovative CNU Assistance and Relief Effort (iCARE) Donation Center.

Read related article: [iCARE: CNU’s means of saying it cares] 

“However, it really takes time to finish printing,” she said.  

Galon said that it takes approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes to make one shield frame. 

Ms. Clare Maristela Galon waits for the frame to be finished on the 3D printer. (Contributed photo)

She said that it was on the last day of March that she and Elnar had calibrated and troubleshooted the 3D printer. It was on April 3, 2020 that they finally started producing the shield frames, the same day the iCARE Ride started to operate.

Read related article: [CNU transports VSMMC frontliners]

Galon said that the printing of shield frames is still ongoing. They have created about 100 face shields and have already donated 50 to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC). She said that they are planning to produce another 50 more in a week to give to other medical institutions. She said that they are also eyeing to give face shields to the Rural Health Unit (RHUs).   

“Pero mao lage, time constraint,” Galon said, admitting that the time in making the shield frames is a challenge.

(left to right) Physics teachers Mr. Carl Patrick Casas, Mr. Allan Roy Elnar, Mr. Gibson Maglasang, and Ms. Clare Maristela Galon at the CNU Physics laboratory. (Contributed photo)

The face shields made by the teachers from the Physics department were distributed during the third week of April along with the other PPE’s accumulated through the iCARE Donation Center. 

Galon said that going to CNU to print the shield frames at the Physics laboratory is a sacrifice they are willing to make for the COVID-19 frontliners. (JDF)

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Teaching-learning challenges amid COVID-19

Students have started taking their school requirements at home after classes were suspended, but this arrangement has been extended after the General and Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) were declared, and may even lengthen more if the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) health crisis does not improve.

With this, educators are facing challenges on how to continue their discussions and activities considering the unstable – sometimes unavailable – internet connectivity among them and the students, as well as the suspension of online classes.

Cebu City Mayor Edgar Labella cancelled all classes in all levels for both public and private schools last March 16 to 28, 2020 but afterwards placed Cebu City under a state of General Community Quarantine on March 16, 2020 until April 14, 2020.

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairman J. Prospero De Vera III issued a directive for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to be lenient with school requirements that use online or distance learning after receiving complaints from students who have difficulty accessing the internet.  

Cebu Normal University (CNU) Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) then issued Memorandum Order No. 23, s. 2020, Online Delivery of Classes in Response to COVID-19 and Memorandum Order No. 24, s. 2020, Enhanced Guidelines on Distance/ Online/ Off Class Learning in Response to COVID-19 in compliance to CHED’s directives.

Faculty members were requested to provide assignments that will not require students to go to internet cafés. Teachers were also advised to provide students a grace period of two weeks to one month after classes resume to comply with the activities.

“The signal in our home town is not steady, and sadly we’re not financially stable due to the lockdown. Sustaining load for internet connection could be a burden to my parents,” Ritchelle Lariosa, BA Communication 1 student said in an interview with Ang Suga Publication.

Jomar Sunpayco, a Grade 10 student and ILS Supreme Student Government (SSG) President, said that more than the issue related to the internet connection, it is the mass amount of tasks given by the teachers that are challenging. He said that classes held inside the classroom are still better compared to the home arrangement where tasks and assignments are piled up at the same time. 

“Teaching online is quite challenging than teaching face-to-face,” Jem Cloyd Tanucan, a Integrated Laboratory School (ILS) faculty agreed.

Tanucan said that not all teachers are technologically savvy and not all students have stable internet connection. He said that with these limitations, teachers are called to be understanding rather than imposing.

CNU VPAA then issued Memorandum Order No. 25, s. 2020, Suspension of Online Classes to officially declare that online classes are to be stopped.

Mary Grace Villafor, a faculty from the Biology Department said that her classes will resume after the class suspension. She said that she has not experienced struggles by following the memorandum order that has been released. 

“I sincerely appreciate the compliance of our teachers on the suspension of online classes because in that way, I can directly perceive that they understand our different situations and struggles in complying with the activities/tasks given to us,” Janalyn Nuñez, a Diploma in Professional Education (DPE) student said.  

“Most students are undergoing adjustments in recent events. Some are dealing with stress and anxiety over the uncertainty of things. Some have families that have been heavily impacted by the COVID outbreak where their livelihood and day-to-day subsistence are a problem,” Dr. Eva Marie Gacasan, Chair from the Psychology Department said. 

Gacasan said that she is giving her students time to adjust and cope with the crisis because their well-being is important. She encourages students to feel a sense of control over things by spending their energy in studying the materials that are given to them.

Labella later issued Executive Order No. 064 placing Cebu City under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) effective March 28, 2020 until April 28, 2020 thereby extending the class suspension.

The ECQ may be shortened if revoked by Labella but will depend on the number of COVID-19 positive cases within the city. The public is still advised to stay at their homes with the implementation of ECQ. (JDF)

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