President Rodrigo Duterte said the government might buy transistor radios for students in far-flung areas who have no access to internet, cellular phones or television.

This as 10.6 million students have enrolled via online in time for the opening of classes in August, Education Secretary Leonor Briones reported during a televised meeting with Duterte and other Cabinet officials in Malacañang on Monday night.

"Insofar as enrollment, Mr. President, is concerned, our enrollment numbers, we started enrollment June 1. And right now, supposedly the 15th day of the month but it's actually 12 days only, including the holidays, 11 days, it's already 10,654,795 learners," she said.

Most of the enrollees were from Region IV-A or Calabarzon and followed by Region III or Central Luzon.

Duterte said schools would open on August 24 but no face-to-face sessions until there is a vaccine against the coronavirus disease.

"Part of this learning strategy is distance and online learning using communications technology and digital services," he said.

Duterte said it is pitiful for those living in far-flung areas as they might not have access to radio, television, cellphone or internet when classes resume.

"The radio now is not too expensive....we might buy the radio at 300 (pesos) to give to all the barangays that could be reached by radio so that the poor may have communication with their teachers," he said.

He said he would try to look for the money before the end of the week to purchase the transistor radios.

"I would look for the money to buy transistor radios to be distributed all throughout the country," Duterte said.

"We will try to do it. We might not be able to succeed to bring all of it to the barangay level but we will try," he added. Celerina Monte/DMS