"It's fun to bond with my classmates and I finally got to see my teacher in person," says a grade three Filipino student as millions of children in the Philippines returned to school as the academic year started on Monday, with many taking their seats in classrooms for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic hit. The Philippines is one of the last countries in the world to resume full-time, in-person lessons -- sparking warnings that the prolonged closure of classrooms had worsened an education crisis in the country. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES