The Department of Education (DepEd) said the pilot implementation of limited face-to-face classes for 100 public schools in the country are "all set" to start on November 15.

"We are now all set for November 15. We are able to complete the 100 public schools while we are still completing the 20 private schools," Education Secretary Leonor Briones said during the ''Laging Handa'' public briefing on Wednesday.

"Our undersecretary, Undersecretary Nepo Malaluan is now going around the provinces to check the total readiness of the schools that we chose," he said.

"For our part in the Department of Education, we inspect the schools that we chose to check if the facilities. They should be prepared in the implementation of social distancing, with water, medicines, with nearby health stations and finally there should be a risk assessment from the Department of Health," he added.

Assistant Education Secretary Malcolm Garma said the education department is evaluating 57 private schools to determine which schools will be included in the pilot testing of limited face-to-face classes for private schools on November 22, 2021.

"The 20 private schools that will join the face-to-face classes are not yet determined but as of now we have 57 private schools that have been submitted already for evaluation," he said.

"On November 12 we will know from Director Joy Sandaya, which are the 20 private schools that will be chosen to join the pilot testing based on the evaluation that is being conducted," he added.

Amid the decreasing number of COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila, Briones said the National Capital Region may be included in the second batch of the pilot testing of face-to-face classes.

"I think maybe in the second batch because we already completed the 100 public schools and we trust the advice of the Department of Health because it will be based on the risk assessment of the DOH. So, we will be relying very heavily on the assessment of the Department of Health," she said. Robina Asido/DMS