Senator Win Gatchalian has volunteered to be vaccinated with jabs of CoronaVac, manufactured by Beijing-based biopharmaceutical company Sinovac, if allowed under the government’s prioritization framework for the nationwide immunization campaign to combat the coronavirus.

As cases of teenage pregnancy in the Philippines continued to surge in 2019, the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) pointed out that some teenagers are victims of child abuse or rape. At the kick-off of National Women’s Month, Senator Win Gatchalian emphasized that this adds urgency to raising the age of sexual consent in the country.

Senator Win Gatchalian has urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to form its panel of experts that will guide the pilot tests of face-to-face classes in low-risk areas.

The Senate will tackle on Wednesday, February 24, the impact of mitigating the pernicious effects of the quality of distance learning, other psycho-social concerns and the implications of postponing the resumption of face-to-face classes amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Senator Win Gatchalian said.

Emphasizing that displaced teachers and non-teaching staff have waited long enough to receive their aid, Senator Win Gatchalian is calling on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to accelerate the distribution of financial aid allotted for teachers and non-teaching personnel under the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act (Republic Act 11494) or Bayanihan 2.

Strict implementation of the minimum health protocols should remain in Metro Manila and in all areas placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) should there be a shift to less stringent modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) by March, Senator Win Gatchalian said.

Aside from the need to hasten learning recovery following the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, learners’ continued access to safety nets adds urgency to the safe reopening of schools, Senator Win Gatchalian said.

Like the study made by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Senator Win Gatchalian also referred to that of Northern Ireland’s Public Health Agency (PHA) to reiterate his call to the Philippine government to consider allowing localized and limited face-to-face classes especially in low risk areas. The PHA recently assured that schools are not a major source of COVID-19 transmission.

To help ensure coherence in improving the quality of teacher education and training in the country, Senator Win Gatchalian is seeking the institutionalization of the National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP), the Department of Education’s (DepEd) professional development arm.