The Balik Silid Petition brings forward the clamour to include Higher Education students in the vaccine program priority list of the Department of Health and Inter-Agency Task Force, specifically in the Priority Group B.6. Higher Education students include those who are taking undergraduate and postgraduate studies in the country.

Increasing mobility of this group is vital for economic rescue and recovery, preventing further academic loss, and achieving herd immunity.

(1) Economic Rescue and Recovery: More mobile individuals means increased flow of economy from transportation, food services, and job opportunities. Reopening campuses provide sufficient training for future professionals that is crucial to building a skilled workforce for our country's post-pandemic recovery.

(2) Academic Loss: The current setup is unfit to properly carry out mechanisms to achieve learning objectives. Issues on resources and connectivity impedes learning progress of students, especially those who are taking laboratory classes. In the long run, equipped graduates will bring the country to recovery.

(3) Herd Immunity: Expanded vaccination efforts promote vaccine confidence and acceptance as there are more exposed inoculated citizens to convince the remaining hesitating population. Greater trust to science and immunisation will speed up efforts towards herd immunity.

In general, this movement highlights the value of education in the face of our crisis. Whether our perspective is long or short term, the gradual return to campus is key to opening the Philippines to the better normal for the common good.