MANILA — The Commission on Higher Education said Thursday it suspended overseas internships for Filipino students for the academic year to ensure their safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Para siguruhin ang kaligtasan ng ating mga estudyante, sinuspende na ng komisyon lahat ng foreign internship ngayong school year na ito," CHED Chairman Prospero De Vera said in a Palace briefing.

(To ensure the safety of our students, the commission has suspended all foreign internships for the school year.)

"Hindi tayo sigurado sa kalagayan ng ating mga estudyante kapag sila'y pinaalis natin, hindi natin alam kung 'yong kanilang pupuntahang mga lugar ay ligtas," he said.

(We're not sure about the welfare of our students if we let them leave, we don't know if it's safe in their destination.)

The commission might also have difficulties in repatriating students who go on internships abroad, said De Vera.

Earlier this year, the CHED worked with the Department of Foreign Affairs to repatriate Filipino students abroad as COVID-19 began spreading in other countries.

• CHED says helping stranded students get home amid COVID-19 travel restrictions
• 19 Filipino students repatriated from Vietnam: CHED

The CHED earlier said it was studying "flexible" internship programs for college students.

• CHED eyes 'flexible' internships, OJTs for select graduating college students