DepEd opens Health and Nutrition Congress in Baguio City today

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) opens today the five-day 2011 Health and Nutrition Congress where it hopes to gather key school health and nutrition officials, and division supervisors handling health and nutrition, to discuss ways of strengthening school feeding programs and good grooming and hygiene promotion strategies in public schools.

An estimated 700 participants composed of medical officers, nurses, dentists, nutritionist-dieticians, and medical assistants, including education supervisors on health and nutrition from the DepEd’s regional, division and school offices are expected to start arriving today for the registration of conference participants at the Teacher’s Camp in Baguio City.

The opening ceremonies will be held tomorrow at the Benitez Hall, also in Teacher’s Camp.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro has tasked the 2011 Health and Nutrition Congress participants to identify and develop solutions to bridge the gap between health and education; present the current health and nutrition status of school children in public elementary and secondary schools; discuss the strengthened Integrated School Health and Nutrition Program; and enhance the participants’ capacities on school health and nutrition promotion through interactive sessions and sharing of best practices.

Luistro recently instructed the DepEd School Health and Nutrition Center to integrate the many health undertakings being pursued in the regional and division levels and align its activities into one seamless whole.

“This is envisioned to make the DepEd better able to determine the effectiveness and relevance of its programs and to make this responsive to DepEd’s mission of enhancing the student’s motivation and capacity for learning,” Luistro said.

Addressing motivation and capacity concerns, he said, will improve learning outcomes and participation rate and also reduce absenteeism.

The conference has the theme “Bridging the Gaps Between Health and Education through the Strengthened Integrated School Health and Nutrition Program.”

Ma. Corazon Dumlao, congress chairperson, said the congress has been held annually since 2000.

The DepEd is hopeful that the five-day event will generate productive results through viable means in the development of healthy school children who are more ready to tackle the physical and mental demands of school.