The government will increase the number of schools with information and communications technology (ICT) equipment in support of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Learning Continuity Program for blended learning, President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday.

“We must implement online learning, modular learning and radio and TV-based broadcast which students coming from different backgrounds can avail. DepEd will provide the printed modules to students who cannot afford online learning,” Duterte said in his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Batasang Pambansa.

He added such schools would be ready in the coming months.

“The DepEd and the DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology) are building up the public education network or PEN that will connect all public schools and DepEd offices nationwide,” he added.

The President also assured that the government will prioritize the connection of all last-mile schools with no electricity supply and have it via satellite and energized via solar panels.

“TV frequencies reverted back to government for whatever cause or reason shall not be used exclusively to the exclusion of other persons or other dummies to cope up with the demand of the next normal, these should be used to provide uninterrupted quality education to our children and our shift to e-learning,” he added.

The shift to blended learning for students in the country came as the President reiterated that he will not allow face-to-face classes amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic until a vaccine against the disease becomes available. (PNA)