Involving the whole man

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

I AM referring to our relationship with God, as well as with everybody else. As much as possible, we should involve our entire humanity, and not just part of it, as in, we deal with God only spiritually and not bodily, only intellectually and not emotionally, etc.

We are reminded of this truth of our faith in that gospel episode where Christ “complained” about people who “look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.” (cfr. Mt 13,10-17)

As that gospel narrates, the reason why Christ used parables instead of using a more direct language is because the heart of the people has grown gross. “They will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted,” Christ said.

In other words, the reason why the people failed to see and to understand what Christ is telling them is because they do not want to be converted. This is also the problem that many of us have. We need to be aware of this predicament and try to do something about it.

We really need to have a burning desire to be with God and with everybody else for us to be able to involve our whole humanity in all our relationships. Without that desire, which will also require the grace of God, we would not go all the way in dealing with God and with others. For all that we do that may appear as if we are doing a lot for God and for others, we would just end up indulging ourselves or simply affirming ourselves.

We need to discipline ourselves so as to involve our whole being in all our relationships. We always have the tendency to be fragmented and distracted, especially nowadays when we have a lot of things, a lot of novelties that can attract our attention at the expense of giving due attention to God and to others.

For this, we need to pause and do some spiritual exercises so that our belief and love for God and for others would really trickle down to our senses. In this regard, we have to give due attention to the need to educate our emotions and passions also.

As the Catechism tells us, our emotions and passions are “natural components of the human psyche; they form the passageway and ensure the connection between the life of the senses and the life of mind.” (1764)

Our emotions and passions therefore serve as a link between our body and soul. They are where we materialize what is spiritual in us, and spiritualize what is material in us. As such, they create a rich texture in our lives. They create the consistency proper to us as a person and as a child of God. They also help to give focus on our judgments, modulate our will, and add sensitivity to our reasoning.

In other words, they play a decisive role in achieving a happy and fully human life. They contribute to achieving the full potential of our humanity. But given the wounded condition of man, our emotions and passions need to be purified and thoroughly educated.

They should not be allowed to just develop at the instance of our hormones and instincts, for example, and the many other blind or short-sighted impulses and trends in our social, cultural, economic, or political environment. They need to be reined in, to be guided and given direction.

This is how we can aspire to involve our whole being in our relationship with God and with others.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆𝗮 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗼 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆

The Mandaya Tribe residing in the upland community in Barangay Manurigao, New Bataan, one of the farthest barangays in Davao de Oro, celebrated its two-day 15th founding anniversary on July 14 and 15, 2022. 

Villagers from the eight Sitios opened the first day with resonating cheers and yells as they participated in the tribal games such as busog, sumpitan, kadang, bagudan, lyul'lot, and ball games in the Al'law ng Tipanod and Kabataan activity. 

Barangay Captain Marcos M. Lino said in an interview that the annual celebration showcases the Mandaya's diverse culture, customs, and traditions through dances, tribal songs, and rituals. It also signifies how firm and unrivaled the tribe is as one community despite difficulties from the past two years brought by the pandemic. 

“𝐺𝑖𝑘𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑦 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑜 𝑛𝑔𝑎 𝑠𝑎 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑎𝑔𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑟 𝑠𝑎 𝑖𝑘𝑎-15𝑡ℎ 𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑛𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑔𝑑𝑢𝑦𝑜𝑔 𝑘𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑔𝑎 𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑠𝑦𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑔 𝑏𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑎 𝑔𝑖𝑘𝑎𝑛 𝑠𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙, 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑢𝑔 𝑚𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑡𝑎 𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑎𝑔𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑎 𝑠𝑎 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑏𝑜. 𝐷𝑖𝑙𝑖 𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑖 𝑘𝑎𝑝𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑡𝑎 𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑔ℎ𝑖𝑢𝑠𝑎 𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑛, ℎ𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑔𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑖 𝑠𝑎 𝑔𝑢𝑔𝑚𝑎 𝑢𝑔 𝑘𝑢𝑠𝑜𝑔 𝑠𝑎 𝑚𝑔𝑎 𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑏𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑀𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑎", Lino said. 

He added that the celebration is part of thanksgiving to their “𝑀𝑎𝑔𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑎𝑦𝑎” for all the blessings and developments poured into their community from the local and national government. 

Through the government programs, from once a haven of communist insurgency, Barangay Manurigao is now a progressive and peaceful community. 

Capping off the celebration is the Hiyas ng Barangay Manurigao, an activity initiated by the teachers of the Department of Education (DepEd), and participated by the youth of the community. 

Present during the anniversary were Governor Dorothy Gonzaga represented by Board Member Albert Camana together with Julius Mabini of Regional NCIP as the guest speaker, Mayor Gerald Ford Balbin, PNP personnel, Tribal Leaders, and Chieftains, and barangay officials.

 (𝑅.𝐻𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑧𝑎𝑛𝑜, 𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑠 𝑏𝑦 𝐽𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑒 𝐶𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑧 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑃𝐶𝑅𝑂 𝑁𝑒𝑤 𝐵𝑎𝑡𝑎𝑎𝑛)

DdO commemorates feast day of St. Camillus de Lellis

 

Davao de Oro --- The Provincial Government of Davao de Oro through the Provincial Health Office (PHO), offered a holy mass led by Rev. Fr. Arnulfo C. Tiplaca on July 14, 2022, as a commemoration of Saint Camillus (San Camilo) de Lellis, the universal patron of hospitals, nurses, doctors, and the sick.

St. Camillus was known for his violent temper, reckless behaviour, and habitual gambling. When he was wounded during the military engagement, the injury never fully healed during his lifetime, and it altered the course of his entire life.  

But where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more. He confessed and offered his life to the Almighty. He died in Rome on July 14, 1614 and was proclaimed as patron of hospitals and the sick. He also declared as protector of all nuns who care for the sick.

This year’s celebration with the theme “Hope and Healing: An Old Faith in a New Normal Life”, aims at strengthening faith and ask St. Camillus and Our Lady of Good Health to intercede for all the sick, all the frontliners, and all who are experiencing trouble during this global crisis.

Dr. Antonio P. Ybiernas Jr., PG Department Head, said in a statement that everyone has a chance to become like St. Camillus, despite his vices, he changed the course of his life and devoted himself to rendered service, ministering to the sick and dying, and helping other people, especially those who are in need. 

Program proper followed after the mass, where employees of PHO showcased their talents in a festive dance competition critiqued by Executive Assistant Edward B. Macapili and Claire Joy R. Gonzaga from the Office of the Governor. The festivity was capped with a shared lunch full of grace. (R. Hortizano, Photos by PHO-DdO)

Are we taking God’s word seriously?

By Fr. Roy Cimagala*

WE are reminded of that question in the parable of the sower and the seed. (cfr. Mt 9,1-13) Yes, in that parable we are encouraged also to do a lot of sowing of God’s word, a responsibility that is incumbent on all of us. But we would not be a good and generous sower of God’s word if we don’t take God’s word seriously. We have to be a rich soil on which the seed of God’s word can flower a hundredfold.

Aside from the usual problems we have in this regard, like being lazy to study God’s word, treating God’s word in a routine and superficial manner, etc., we now have to contend with the danger of making our other man-made words coming from our philosophies, ideologies, sciences and technologies take precedence over God’s word or even replacing God’s word completely.

We have to protect ourselves from the thought that our man-made word is better, is more effective, or is more practical than God’s word. Nothing can be farther than the truth than that thought, but many of us actually succumb to it.

We need to understand that God’s word gives us the ultimate spiritual knowledge we need to return to God, from whom we came and to whom we go and spend our life in eternity. This character of God’s word is described in the following words in the Letter to the Hebrews:

“For the word of God is living and effectual, and more piercing than any two-edged sword, and reaching unto the division of the soul and the spirit, of the joints also and the marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (4,12)

Its purely eternal, spiritual, sacred and transcendent nature is now subjected to the conditions of time, culture, history, etc., in view of how we are. But we should not forget that it is primarily purely eternal, spiritual, sacred and transcendent, which with our spiritual powers plus God’s grace we can manage to abstract from its temporal, material, mundane and prosaic condition.

Let’s remember that God became man. With his incarnation, the divine word assumes the nature of a human word. And just as God became man to bring man back to God, his divine word became the human word to bring and reconcile us with God.

Since God’s word is God himself and God is everything to us, we have to understand that it contains everything for our needs, especially our ultimate need to be with God. All things true, good and beautiful are contained in the word of God.

Thus, insofar as our philosophies, ideologies, sciences, arts and technologies contain truths, goodness and beauty, no matter how technical they are, we have to conclude that they also come from God’s word and belong there also. 

Anyone who does not acknowledge this truth about the human sources of our knowledge can be considered ungrateful and presumptuous. We need to overcome the dichotomy that detaches our sciences, arts and technologies from God’s word.

Our sciences, arts and technologies can only articulate the more mundane aspects of the Word of God. They should lead us to God. They should make us achieve a more intimate relationship with God, with everybody else and everything else in the whole universe.

We should make God’s word the primary and constant source of our knowledge! Everything else has to be animated by it.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Fast-track national ID distribution to hasten delivery of services, benefits

by Manila Bulletin

Even while recovering from a second Covid-19 infection, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. met via teleconference with Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, who is also National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Director General, to order the faster distribution of national ID cards for use by all Filipinos by 2023. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), NEDA’s attached agency, is tasked to lead in implementing the national ID system that is mandated in Republic Act No. 11055, the Philippine Identification System Act.

According to the Philippine Postal Authority’s latest report, it has already delivered around 14 million ID cards. Although the law mandating the issuance of national ID cards was passed in 2018, it was not until last year that fixed and mobile registration centers were put up by the PSA. Alternating episodes of quarantine and lockdown also hampered registration of ID applicants. Despite these, the PSA has reported that around 50 million Filipinos — or close to half of the country’s population — have already been registered for the national ID by end 2021.

Toward the end of his term, President Rodrigo Duterte expressed impatience over apparent delays in the issuance of the national ID. A waiting period of six months to one year has been noted. As pointed out by Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on public services, the national ID is a “trusted card used for the speedy distribution of cash aid, fuel vouchers, health benefits, and other basic services” needed by Filipinos to help tide them over the difficulties arising from the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a recent Commission on Audit (COA) report, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas needs to catch up with the schedule of producing national ID cards for around 116 million Filipinos within a four-year period. With the easing of mobility restrictions, it is reasonable to expect a rapid ramping up of ID card production and distribution.

The law that created the Philippine Identification System or the PhilSys for all citizens and residents of the Republic, aimed “to promote seamless delivery of service; to improve the efficiency, transparency, and targeted delivery of public and social services; to enhance administrative governance; to reduce corruption and bureaucratic red tape, to avert fraudulent transactions and misrepresentation; to strengthen financial inclusion; and to promote ease of doing business.” In order to achieve all of these objectives, “a resilient digital system shall be deployed to secure the data collected and to ensure that the people’s right to privacy, confidentiality and other basic rights are at all times upheld and protected.”

Indeed, the issuance of national ID cards is a comprehensive program that requires utmost competence and efficiency on the part of government agencies that are tasked to ensure its effective implementation. Considering that more than four years have passed since the law was enacted, citizens and residents have every right to expect that the distribution of national ID cards will be fast-tracked so they could reap the benefits from its use.

Pinoys reduce spending, increase savings – study

By Mayvelin U. Caraballo, Manila Times

IN light of the anticipated slowdown of the economy, Filipinos have reduced their consumption and boosted their emergency savings, a research released on Tuesday by a global information and insights company, TransUnion, showed.

After a strong start to the year, the firm said respondents to its latest "Consumer Pulse Study" expect the Philippine economy to slow down and stop growing quarter on quarter.

"This is highly attributed to the election season affecting spending and investment of both the government and private sectors. Additionally, the local inflation rate increased to 5.4 percent in May due to the continuous global oil price hikes," it said.

Majority or 56 percent of the 1,005 respondents surveyed by TransUnion between May 26 and June 7 this year indicated they had saved more money for emergencies.

In addition, 43 percent of the respondents said they reduced their discretionary expenditure, such as going out to eat, while only 22 percent said they raised it.

Among generations, the company said, Gen X (those born from 1965-1979) and Baby Boomers (born 1944-1964) reported making the most cuts, at 49 and 47 percent, respectively.

Furthermore, it added, "the majority of Filipino consumers were looking to maintain this trend; 61 percent expected large purchase spending to decrease or stay the same."

The category with the highest reported spending rise, however, was bills and loans, where 48 percent of respondents see spending more over the same time period.

On the respondents' ability to pay bills, TransUnion said 46 percent said they could not pay at least one of their existing loans or payments in full.

Nearly half or 46 percent of the respondents plan to utilize money from savings to continue paying bills and loans for those who said they would be unable to pay at least one bill or debt.

Among all generations, Gen Z respondents reported favoring this strategy the most, with 49 percent doing so.

"Most Filipinos (96 percent) believe in the importance of having access to credit and lending products to achieve financial goals," the firm said.

Forty-three percent of respondents overall say they have adequate access to credit and loan options.

Study: Gen Zs need greater finance access

According to the study, Baby Boomers held the majority with 55 percent of the vote, followed by Millennials (born 1980-1994) and Gen Z with 44 and 41 percent, respectively.

Over half or 55 percent of all respondents, TransUnion said, intended to seek new credit or refinance existing credit during the next 12 months.

In a statement, Pia Arellano, president and chief executive officer of TransUnion Philippines, said while credit can stimulate economic growth, many consumers feel excluded or are denied credit because lenders are unable to assess their credit risk with sufficient accuracy.

The study found that 54 percent of customers thought their credit scores would rise if companies used data not present in a typical credit report, she added.

In order to give more Filipinos access to credit during these difficult times, Arellano pointed out, "this use of alternative data in credit scoring and decisions can significantly increase levels of financial inclusion across the country."

SB19 brings fresh twist to this year’s Bb. Pilipinas theme song

by Robert Requintina, Manila Bulletin

With the ever changing times, music has also evolved in different forms to cater to the taste of the modern generation. Today, original pinoy music or OPM has produced diverse sounds, yielding a new type of tune, Pinoy Pop or PPOP for short.

Consistent to its cause of shining a light on the beauty and diversity of Filipino culture, Binibining Pilipinas recognizes how impactful music can be, and has endeavored to banner Pinoy talent in any way that it can. That is why for this year, the prestigious pageant’s official theme song was given the PPOP revamp with the help of the country’s latest music pride – SB19.

SB19’s modern pop rendition of the classic Bb. Pilipinas theme song entitled “Win Your Heart” encapsulates the spirit of the pageant. With its beat and lyrics, it proudly communicates the uniqueness of the Filipina – one who exudes beauty, intelligence, grace and strength.

“Bb. Pilipinas has always been on a mission to empower Filipinos across the international stage, and one of our great qualities as a Filipino is our talent in creating art, such as music. We recognize the importance of featuring our local talents, such as SB19, that is why we hope that with this collaboration, we can show the world that not only are Filipinos intelligent, passionate, and driven, we are also immensely talented,” Irene Jose, Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. trustee said.

SB19 will serenade the Bb. Pilipinas stage as the main performers of the pageant’s Grand Coronation Night. But, SB19 isn’t be the only PPOP act to take part in the slew of Bb. Pilipinas activities. Other rising PPOP groups such as DIONE, First.One, 4th Impact, and ALAMAT   made their presence felt with their energetic performances at the Talent Competition, Press Presentation, and the glamorous Fashion Show. 

To watch the Lyric video of ‘Win Your Heart,’ please click this link: https://youtu.be/ofeFrctMJeM. The official music video of the said theme song will also be uploaded on the Bb. Pilipinas YouTube page soon, so stay tuned!

BOI promotes business opportunities for investors, to hold SIPP roadshows nationwide

Aimed at promoting investment opportunities, build connection with the country’s investors, would-be investors, and concerned stakeholders, and make more investments happen in the Philippines, the Board of Investments (BOI), the country’s lead industry development and investments promotion agency (IPA), is conducting its series of roadshows nationwide on the salient features and highlights of the Strategic Investments Priority Plan (SIPP).  

Through the BOI’s Domestic Investments Promotion Service (DIPS) and its Extension Offices, the roadshows will initially be conducted in three key cities: Cebu on July 19, Cagayan de Oro on July 26, and Davao on July 28.  More roadshows are set to be scheduled next month. 

The SIPP, a plan prepared by the BOI in coordination and consultation with the IPAs, the Fiscal Incentives and Review Board (FIRB), other government agencies administering tax incentives, and the private sector, lists the priority industries, sectors, and business projects that may qualify for investment incentives under Republic Act No. 11534 or the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act. 

The SIPP includes the scope and coverage of the priority activities and the industry tier categorization which influences the period of availment for incentives.  The higher the industry Tier categorization the longer the period of incentives availment. 

Apart from primarily providing information about the priority sectors/industries and investment opportunities under SIPP, the roadshow is also BOI’s in-person public platform to guide investors on how to apply investment projects with the BOI to avail incentives and likewise provide consultation/advisory services for those who want to understand and avail the other services of the BOI. 

The BOI SIPP roadshow is a one-day event with two parts. For the morning session, investments opportunities under the SIPP and the incentives available for qualified projects will be discussed. The afternoon session meanwhile will be for one-on-one consultations with the BOI resource persons on potential projects for registration and other investments concerns.  

The roadshow targets firms with previous projects registered with BOI as well as firms who are planning to expand their operations in the regions, regional business chambers, regional industry associations and organizations, academe, financial institutions, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) regional and provincial offices, regional National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), and other regional government offices.   

The SIPP serves as a catalyst to shore up various industries and yield more diversified, complex, and sophisticated products and services in the Philippines.  The SIPP plays a significant role in the country’s goal of bouncing back from the economic ramifications brought about by the persisting global health crisis. The Plan also sustains the momentum towards the country’s economic recovery, as it will generate and recover jobs as well as competitively provide for the Filipinos’ basic needs. 

For more information on the SIPP, visit the BOI website: Strategic Investment Priority Plan | Board of Investments (boi.gov.ph) 

Heatwave: Ferocious European heat heads north

By Malu Cursino

BBC News

Firefighters work to contain a tactical fire in Louchats, as wildfires continue to spread in the Gironde region of southwestern France, July 17

IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERS

Fires in the south of France have ravaged more than 15,000 hectares (37,066 acres) of forests since 12 July

Western Europe faces more sweltering temperatures on Tuesday as a ferocious heatwave heads north.

In France and the UK extreme heat warnings were issued while northern Spain recorded temperatures of 43C (109F) on Monday.

Wildfires in France, Portugal, Spain and Greece have forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes.

The UK is expected to see its hottest day ever and experts say parts of France face a "heat apocalypse".

Several parts of France saw their hottest-ever days with the western city of Nantes recording 42C, the national weather office said.

Wildfires in recent days have forced more than 30,000 people to flee, with emergency shelters set up for evacuees.

Gironde, a popular tourist region in the southwest, has been hit particularly badly, with firefighters battling to control blazes which have destroyed over 15,000 hectares (37,066 acres) of land since last Tuesday.

"The idea that comes into my head is, it's a monster," Jean-Luc Gleyze, the president of the Gironde region said of the fires.

"It's a monster like an octopus, and it's growing and growing and growing in the front, in the back, on both sides. Because of the temperature, because of the wind, because of the lack of water in the air... it's a monster and it's very difficult to fight against it."

The UK had one of its hottest days on record on Monday, with a high of 38.1C recorded in Suffolk, in eastern England. Forecasters say Tuesday could see a top of 40C, which would be the highest temperature ever recorded in the country.

There were severe travel disruptions with trains cancelled and flights at London's Luton Airport suspended when part of the runway buckled under the searing heat.

On Monday, the Netherlands recorded its hottest day of the year so far. In the south-western town of Westdorpe, temperatures reached 33.6C.

And it is expected to be hotter on Tuesday, with temperatures forecast to top 39C in southern and central regions of the Netherlands.

Forecasters say the heatwave is heading north, with Belgium, Germany and Italy expected to see temperatures around 40C in the coming days.

In Spain and Portugal, more than 1,000 deaths have been attributed to the heat in recent days.

Temperatures in Portugal hit 47C on Thursday - a record for July. Most of the country has been placed under high fire danger by the national meteorological office IPMA.

Local media reports that 300 people from the northern Murça municipality have been evacuated due to the fire danger - authorities are anxious to avoid a repeat of 2017, when 66 people were killed in wildfires.

In Spain, at least twenty fires are burning out of control. A passenger filmed the moment the train he was travelling on came to a temporary halt - as fires raged on both sides of the carriage near the northern border with Portugal.

Heatwaves have become more frequent, more intense, and last longer because of human-induced climate change. The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.

Students not required to wear uniforms - Sara

A girl tries on a school uniform at a stall in Commonwealth Market in this photo taken on July 13, 2022. PHOTO BY JOHN ORVEN VERDOTE

By Kaithreen Cruz, Manila Times

PUBLIC school students will not be required to wear school uniforms, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio said on Monday.

She pointed out that it is not a strict requirement for public school students to wear uniforms even before the pandemic to avoid incurring additional costs.

"All the more that it will not be required this school year given the increasing prices and economic losses due to the pandemic," Duterte-Carpio said.

School Year 2022-2023 will open on August 22, with DepEd giving schools flexibility to utilize distance learning modalities, blended learning, or full face-to-face classes until October 31.

The Education department, through DepEd Order No. 34 s. 2022, mandated all public and private schools nationwide to hold five days of in-person learning starting November 2.