MANILA- The opening of classes in colleges and universities will depend on the delivery mode of education, Malacañang said Thursday, as the government's pandemic task force set rules on the resumption of classes.

The holding of physical classes will remain barred until Aug. 31, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said in a Palace press briefing.

"Ang pagbubukas ng klase po para sa higher education institutions ay nakabase po sa education delivery mode," he said.

The following are the guidelines approved by the government's inter-agency task force on the opening of classes in higher education institutions (HEIs), as proposed by the Commission on Higher Education:

1. HEIs using full online education can open anytime.

2. HEIs using flexible learning can open anytime in August 2020.

3. HEIs using significant residential (face-to-face/in-person) mode can open not earlier than Sept. 1, 2020 in areas under general community quarantine.

4. No residential (face-to-face/in-person) classes until Aug. 31, 2020.

Private colleges and universities still using the old academic calendar (June to March) are encouraged to move the opening of their classes to August, Roque said.

"Patuloy po ang gagawing review ng CHEd sa mga kondisyon at pakikipag-usap sa mga higher education institutions," he added.

(CHEd will continuously review and communicate with higher education institutions.)

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