The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) recommended the gradual reopening of all schools in the country to boost the economy.

"We would like to recommend the benefit of opening face-to-face learning as the vaccination rate of children increases," Economic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said during Monday night's Talk to the People with President Rodrigo Duterte.

"We can open all the schools gradually and this will provide a big boost to the economy while improving the learning and productivity of children," he added.

Chua said the benefit of opening face-to-face classes includes an increase in economic activity.

"We will increase economic activity by 12 billion pesos per week because the services around the school like transport, dormitories, food stores, school materials will return and 40 percent of the population in the Philippines are students," he said. Robina Asido/DMS