The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will deploy 581 traffic enforcers on roads leading to and near public schools ahead of the start of classes on 22 August and full face-to-face schooling on 2 November this year.
MMDA Task Force Special Operations chief Bong Nebrija said the agency has been coordinating with local government units (LGU) in preparation for the resumption of classes.
“We will be manning schools. We will designate 581 personnel in 146 public schools in Metro Manila,” Nebrija said. “Aside from that, we will be manning the intersections (and) pedestrian lanes.”
Nebrija said the agency is also conducting misting, fogging, and clearing operations around schools as part of the preparation.
Parents and students have expressed concern about the apparent lack of private transportation units that could serve the expected big number of students returning to school.
At least one group of school transport service providers said some of their members were still undecided whether or not to resume operations on 22 August considering that full face-to-face classes, as ordered by Vice President and Department of Education Secretary Sara Duterte, will only commence on 2 November.
While elementary and high school students in both private and public schools will resume full in-person schooling, the Commission on Higher Education has said it cannot force colleges and universities to implement 100-percent in-school classes.
The other day, the MMDA said it will implement an expanded number coding scheme in Metro Manila in light of the coming face-to-face classes.
Starting on 15 August, the numbers coding will be from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Under the vehicular volume-reduction scheme, vehicles with plates ending 1 and 2 are barred during the coding hours every Monday, 3 and 4 on Tuesday, 5 and 6 on Wednesday, 7 and 8 on Thursday and 9 and 0 Friday.
Violators will not be apprehended but only warned during the first two days of the expanded numbers coding implementation, Nebrija said.
“Of course, people are not used to number coding during the morning. We will introduce this slowly through public information,” said the MMDA official.