MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine government has scrapped the medical insurance requirements for college students joining face-to-face classes, Malacañang announced on Friday, May 27.

“Inaprubahan na din ng IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force), base po sa rekomendasyon ng Commission on Higher Education (CHED), ang pag-repeal sa medical insurance ng mga estudyante na nakasaad sa CHED-DOH (Department of Health) joint memorandum circular No. 2021-004,” acting deputy presidential spokesperson Kris Ablan said.

(The IATF approved, based on the recommendation of the Commission on Higher Education , the repealing of the medical insurance of students as stated in the CHED-DOH joint memorandum circular No. 2021-004.)

Prior to this development, the government required medical insurance coverage for students before they could return to their campuses for face-to-face classes.

The government has allowed colleges and universities under Alert Level 1 to hold face-to-face classes. However, only fully vaccinated students with health insurance could go back to their campuses.

Under Alert Level 1 or what the government considers as the “new normal,” establishments and public transportation are allowed to be fully operational. There are also no restrictions on the movement of people from different age groups, though this is subject to specific rules that vary among local government units. 

Metro Manila and a number of areas in the country are under Alert Level 1. – Rappler.com