(File photo) MANILA - A lawmaker at the House of Representatives on Thursday urged public and private education stakeholders to heed the call for a national academic health break and academic ease following the unprecedented rise in infections amid coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic. Quezon City. Rep. Alfred Vargas, in a resolution, said the Department of Education (DepEd) and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) should implement more reasonable workloads and requirements in view of the surge in coronavirus cases. "With the alarming increase in Covid-19 cases affecting our fellow Filipinos' mental well-being and the financial capacity of families - as well as the capacity of our learners and students to cope and adjust in a healthy way - government must explore innovative, compassionate, and proactive programs and policies that address these real concerns," he said. Vargas said the pandemic "is as much a mental health issue as it is an issue of physical health.