After nearly two years of closure due to the pandemic, 28 public schools in infections hot spot Metro Manila started limited face-to-face classes on Monday, December 6.

These schools joined the over 100 public and private schools in the provinces that started in-person classes in November for a pilot run that would end in January 2022.

At a press briefing aired on state-run PTV4 on Monday, Education Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan said that the Department of Education (DepEd) had not received any “adverse report” on the start of classes, describing the implementation as “smooth.”

Metro Manila is under Alert Level 2 for COVID-19. Limited face-to-face classes under this alert level are allowed but subject to DepEd approval. (READ: Will Metro Manila schools be allowed to hold limited face-to-face classes?)

President Rodrigo Duterte recently allowed DepEd and the Department of Health (DOH) to identify more schools to join the pilot run.

The DepEd has identified more schools outside Metro Manila, but it has yet to give specific details on when they would resume face-to-face classes.

In Cavite, at least, the cities of Imus and Tagaytay held opened face-to-face classes in one public school each on Monday.

The select schools for the initial pilot run are in areas deemed “low-risk” for COVID-19 by the DOH, which are mostly remote areas. There are about 48,000 public schools in the country.

Below are some scenes from the school opening in Metro Manila and Cavite on Monday.

Rappler also visited Pasig Central Elementary School to cover the first day of in-person classes. Watch the short school tour below.

– with a report from Dennis Abrina in Cavite/Rappler.com