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The Philippines – COVID-19 and Its Impact on Higher Education in the Philippines

The Impact of the Lockdown on Higher Education Higher education institutions (HEIs), both public and private, have also had to adjust to the new situation where face-to-face interaction and mass gatherings are prohibited. Committed to their mandate, the leading universities and colleges in the Philippines, particularly those affiliated with the ASEAN University Network – such as the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University and De la Salle University, found innovative ways to fulfil their three-pronged tasks of education, research and service. Everyone, from the operations and support service units, to administrators and teachers, adjusted to work-from-home arrangements. From the confines of their homes, teachers and administrators were put to the task of revising and adapting course syllabi and requirements as they shifted to alternative or remote teaching modalities, both synchronous and asynchronous. Where students and teachers had access to electronic devices and reliable Internet connections, learning managements systems such as Canvas, Moodle, Blackboard, and applications like Google Hangouts, Zoom and Skype, were used. But where students had limited access to computers or unreliable access to the Internet, teachers and students used smartphones to exchange messages, notes and materials, through text messaging, e-mail, Facebook Messenger, and Twitter. In some instances, these arrangements became unsustainable and some universities had to suspend remote or online classes because the uneven socioeconomic status of students affected their access to these modalities of learning. Also, concerns regarding the mental health of both students and teachers affected by the uncertainty, became another reason to suspend online classes.

REFLECTION

Despite all of these challenges, the ingenuity and resilience of the Filipinos were demonstrated in the midst of the pandemic. Societal demands to mobilise the contributions of various sectors to address the pandemic triggered HEIs to face these challenges head on. Researchers, scientists, and practitioners in the health, social and behavioural sciences, engineering, arts and humanities, intensified their collaboration and partnership to generate knowledge needed to produce timely and relevant policies and programmes, projections, strategies, products and inventions. Laboratories, clinics, offices, workplaces, and even homes were transformed into spaces of discovery and innovation, creativity and resourcefulness, giving credence to the saying “necessity is the mother of change and innovation.”

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

With the restrictions on the movement of people, the need to practise physical distancing, and prohibitions on mass gatherings, face-to-face classes, community engagements, internships, practicum activities, and other forms of experiential learning methods can no longer be employed for as long as the pandemic persists. This presents an opportunity for the academic community to innovate and develop alternative teaching strategies that will allow for a more conducive learning environment, given these limitations. The COVID-19 pandemic has produced a new world full of challenges, dilemmas, as well as opportunities. It is up to us to adapt and transform the challenges and dilemmas to opportunities for growth and development for our nation and the global community.

References: https://headfoundation.org/2020/06/04/covid-19-and-its-impact-on-higher-education-in-the-philippines/?fbclid=IwAR13ZIv4KrAwKizzC2Y29JXn8Jy57RuHQWxcJHgXY38U2XcFK5KtRn26ETI