2. Background
With the technical guidance from the
Department of Health (DOH) and other child health
expert organizations, the Department of Education
(DepEd) formulated the operational guidelines on the
pilot implementation of face-to-face learning modality
in preparation for the eventual school reopening.
The guidelines aim to ensure that students,
school staff, their families, and surrounding
communities are afforded the maximum amount of
protection against COVID-19.
The pilot implementation of face-to-face
classes will provide essential insights on the
expansion of reopening of schools, hence, the
coordination of the Central Office and schools is critical in this
undertaking.
3. Objectives
This communications plan aims to:
• Guide key communicators of the pilot face-to-face classes in developing and crafting
messages and interventions to concerned stakeholders; and
• Provide documentation and media management protocols for the pilot implementation
of face-to-face classes; and
• Establish field coordination and crisis management protocol for possible scenarios for
the continuation of the pilot face-to-face classes.
4. Key Messages
Bayanihan para sa Ligtas na Balik-Eskwela. Anchored on the shared
responsibility framework, the Department of Education is gradually reintroducing face-
to-face classes with stringent measures and protocols in place and with the help of various
education stakeholders.
a. Consultative. - the Department of Education consulted the Department of Health
and medical and pediatric experts in developing the guidelines.
b. Collaborative. - collaboration of DepEd, DOH, local government units, teachers and
non-teaching staff, parents, learners as well as the community.
c. Community-Based. - the pilot implementation will only take place in low-risk areas
and be participated only by schools and individuals that passed certain requirements.
5. Stakeholder Mapping
As long as the threat of COVID-19 exists, education stakeholders face daunting
challenges in the reintroduction of physical classes. Communication will play a big
role in establishing interventions to identify issues that may hamper the pilot
implementation and its eventual expansion.
6. Communication Strategies
Concerned Person Possible Communication Intervention Responsible
Person/Office
1. Learners • Posting of child-friendly IEC materials in school common areas.
• Conduct of Orientation
• Coordination with parents
• Delegation of student’s health (handwashing, do’s and don’ts).
School Heads,
Teachers, SIC
2. Teachers and
School Personnel
• Provision of bite-sized information and IEC materials.
• Availability of direct contact to officials.
• Reinforce of communication efforts for informed decisions on vaccines.
• Features of schools’ best practices.
DOH, LGU, CO, RO,
SDO, SIC
3. Parents • Provisions of direct contact numbers to schools and Deped Officials.
• Features stories of parent’s support to the implementation.
• Conduct of parent’s orientation.
School Heads,
Teachers, SIC
4. Community
members
• Conduct of community-wide orientation.
• Feature of stories about community support and preparations.
• Development of omnibus TV and radio ad on safe return to schools
DOH, LGU, CO, RO,
SDO, School
personnels, SIC
7. Communication Materials
1. Vacc2School elements can be retained for consistency purposes.
2. All communication materials must have a localized version.
3. Posters and other outdoor materials must be posted in heavy traffic locations.
4. Printed materials (brochures, flyers) must be distributed to participating stakeholders
8. Communication Materials
A. Tactics
1. Traditional Media
a. Printed materials (posters, flyers, brochures)
i. FAQs on Pilot Implementation of F2F Classes
ii. Guide on Step-by-step Daily Routine for Learners, Parents/Guardians, and
Teachers
i i i. Contact Numbers of School Officials/Health Officers
iv. Handwashing Procedures
v. COVID-19 Benefit Packages for DepEd Personnel
9. Communication Materials
2. Social Media
a. Facebook/Instagram
i. Infographics
ii. Informational videos
iii. Boosted content
b. Group Chat
c. Messenger
10. Communication Materials
3. Production - according to the latest SWS survey, TV and radio are still most used information
source of Filipinos.
a. TV ad
i. Containing videos on safe return to school operations
ii. Guide on Step-by-step Daily Routine for Learners, Parents/Guardians, and Teachers
b. Radio ad
i. Containing radio news and ads on safe return to school operations
ii. Guide on Step-by-step Daily Routine for Learners, Parents/Guardians, and Teachers
4. Giveaways
a.Vacc2School items ( facemask, alcohol spray, pen, mug, notebook, calendar, etc.)
18. Coordination
1. An online group composed of Teachers and involved RIOs, DIOs, and SIC’s must be
established.
2. Updates from CO will be forwarded to the group by Teachers for alignment.
3. SIC’s/ Teachers will also collect a list of involved field information officers and their
contact numbers for easier coordination.
4. RIOs, DIOs, and SICs are encouraged to forward field updates or concerns to the group
as well.
5. Weekly meetings can be set up by SIC/Teachers or as absolutely needed.
19. Documentation guidelines
a. Photo and Video
1. Photo and video recording of the preparations and implementation of the pilot
face-to-face classes maybe used in information and communication materials of the
Department and other agencies, as may be requested.
2. All materials should display compliance to health protocols and standards, such
as wearing of face masks and face shields, and physical distancing.
20. 3. The following scenarios must be included in the documentation of the school:
a. Setup of safety features, physical facilities, signages and markers, WASH facilities
and supplies, personal protective equipment (PPEs), and learning materials in the school
b. Classroom layout and structure, and other areas of the school (designated waiting
areas, school gate, restroom, school clinic, library, school administrative office, etc.)
c. Interface and involvement of external stakeholders and LGUs in the school
reopening process
d. Orientation of learners, parents, guardians, teaching and non-teaching personnel
on procedures in conducting face-to-face classes
e. Simulation activities among school personnel regarding protocols and routines
f. Official visit of national, regional, or local DepEd officials and other partners in
the school
21. Documentation guidelines
Social Media Posting
1. Regional, division, and school pages are encouraged to share the posts and IEC materials uploaded
on the DepEd website and DepEd Philippines social media pages. Templates will be provided by the Public
Affairs Service for contextualization of the contents.
2. Schools may share updates or stories on their preparations and actual implementation of the school
reopening. Topics include health and safety protocols, physical arrangement and layout of the classrooms,
orientation of teaching and nonteaching personnel, orientation of parents and learners, and partnerships
with local government units and community, among others.
22. Documentation guidelines
3. All posts pertaining to the pilot implementation must support to the messaging
guide provided in this document and must be cleared for posting by the head of office
before releasing.
4. Photos must be accompanied by a caption in Filipino or English. Use of mother
tongue is also encouraged to further contextualize the content. To ensure conciseness,
the recommended length is 2 to 3 paragraphs.
23. Documentation guidelines
5. Sharing of sensitive information (e.g., learners’ full name, birthday, learner
reference number, class section, etc.) is not allowed to protect the data privacy
of learners, parents, and personnel.
6. Posts featuring the photo or personal information of a learner or minor-aged
children must have the consent of the learner’s parents or guardian before
posting.
24. Crisis Management (internal)
a. Incident Reporting
1. Report incident to the group established for coordination with the school personnel and other
involved information officers
2. For monitoring purposes, the SIC/DIO must have a list of contact numbers of participating
teachers and learners.
3. Any health or non-health incident that took place inside the participating school must be
reported to SIC/Teacher and respective RIO/DIO upon validation of authorized personnel of school.
4. The RIO-in-charge must finalize the incident report and official statement for submission to SIC.
5. The release of the official statement must be cleared by School Officers/SIC.
25. b. Scenarios and Procedures
Field offices are instructed to follow the school’s contingency plan and health and
safety protocols stipulated in the DepEd-DOH Joint Memorandum Circular.
In terms of communication crisis scenarios, the following steps must be followed:
Scenario 1: A school personnel/learner showing symptoms of COVID-19
1. SIC/DIO shall alert the SCHOOL and RIO within 24 hours after the incident
occurred.
2. Prepare incident report and submit to RIO for validation
3. SIC/DIO must provide daily health monitoring report to the School In-Charge of
the concerned individual/s
26. Scenario 2: A school personnel/learner testing positive of COVID-19
1. SIC/DIO shall alert the SCHOOL and RIO within 24 hours after the incident occurred.
2. SIC/DIO must provide daily health monitoring report to SCHOOL of the concerned
individual
3. Prepare incident report and submit to RIO for validation
4. RIO will then draft an official statement. Remember not to mention affected
individuals’ names to protect their privacy.
5. In the statement, provide actions being taken to protect the health and well-being of the
affected individual
6. Once the statement is submitted to CO, School will provide further recommendations to
handle the situation.
7. School will provide guidance on the release of the statement considering the factors of
the incident.
27. Scenario 3: School closure due to rising cases of COVID-19
1. SIC/DIO shall alert PAS and RIO within 24 hours after the incident occurred.
2. Prepare incident report and submit to RIO for validation
3. RIO will then draft an official statement regarding the risk status of the locality.
4. In the statement, provide actions being taken to protect the health and well-
being of stakeholders, learning continuity
5. Once the statement is submitted, School In Charge will provide further
recommendations to handle the situation
6. School In Charge will provide guidance on the release of the statement
considering the factors of the incident.
28. Scenario 4: Complaints of stakeholders regarding the implementation of the
pilot testing
1. SIC/DIO shall alert the School In-charge and RIO within 24 hours after the
incident occurred.
2. Prepare incident report and submit to RIO for validation
3. RO/ SDO must provide clarifications and recommendations on the complaint/s.
4. RIO will draft an official statement to answer the complaint/s.
5. Once the statement is submitted to CO, the School In-charge will provide
further recommendations to handle the situation
6. The School In -charge will provide guidance on the release of the statement
considering the factors of the incident.
29. Scenario 5: Escalation of fake information regarding the conduct of pilot face-
to-face classes
1. SIC/DIO shall alert the School in-charge and RIO within 24 hours after the
incident occurred.
2. RIO/DIO shall conduct validation of the ‘fake’ information
3. RIO/DIO shall contact the source of the information and provide clarifications
about it. Respectfully request the source to delete the post to avoid public confusion.
4. RIO shall draft an official statement clarifying the ‘fake’ information.
5. The School will provide guidance on the release of the statement considering the
factors of the incident.
30. Scenario 6: A participating school personnel/learner dying of COVID-19
complications
1. SIC/DIO shall alert the SCHOOL in- charge and RIO within 24 hours after the
incident occurred.
2. Prepare incident report and submit to RIO for validation
3. RIO will then draft an official statement. Remember not to mention affected
individuals’ names to protect their privacy.
4. In the statement, express empathy to the untimely death of a DepEd family
member and provide actions being done to support the family.
5. Once the statement is submitted to CO, school will provide further
recommendations to handle the situation.
6. SCHOOL in-charge will secure the clearance of OSEC for the publication of
the statement.
32. School Based Contact Tracing
Contact Tracing is a public health tool that is used to help stop the spread of certain
communicable diseases. For schools, it involves identifying others that may have had recent close
contact with a person confirmed to have the virus and giving that information to the local public
health department. The local public health department will provide guidance on how to stay
safe, protect others, and quarantining to prevent further spread of the virus.
Quarantine separates people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they
become sick. This is important because people who are infected with COVID-19 are contagious
two days before they have any symptoms of being sick, so unless they are kept separated from
other people, they will spread the illness without even knowing it. Since close contacts are not
yet known to be infected, the contacts to those contacts do not need to be in quarantine and do
not need to be identified or contacted.
