DepEd keen on partnerships for health programs in schools

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) underscored the importance of partnerships with local government units (LGUs) and the private sector for the sustainable implementation of “Oplan Kalusugan (OK) sa DepEd” to promote and provide Filipino learners with sustainable holistic school health and nutrition programs toward healthier behavior and better learning outcomes.

“With 27 million learners and 800,000 teachers across the country, the department could not carry out its constitutional mandate to provide every Filipino with access to quality education without your help,” said Education Secretary Leonor Briones during the national kickoff of “OK sa DepEd” at Banisil Central Elementary School in General Santos City last July 24.

OK sa DepEd is a convergence of the department’s health programs, plans, policies and activities for effective and efficient implementation.

It focuses on the major school health programs such as School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP); National Drug Education Program (NDEP); Adolescent Reproductive Health Education (ARH); Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene in Schools (WinS); Medical, Dental and Nursing Services; and the School Mental Health Program.

Alain del Pascua, Education Undersecretary for Administration, also cited the Department of Health and the country’s doctors and other health professionals in helping implement OK sa DepEd.

“We need all the doctors, we need all the dentists, the nurses, the nutritionists, the ophthalmologists and all health professionals to implement this program in order for us to address the health needs of our school children,” he said.

The DepEd, he added, plans to improve the delivery of health and nutrition programs for learners and personnel such as the construction of about 2,000 school clinics in all towns nationwide starting this year, possibly in central elementary schools, in towns without municipal clinics or in areas far from existing clinics. 

To support the operation of the said clinics, Pascua said he would request the DepEd Curriculum and Instruction strand to deploy senior high school (SHS) students enrolled in health-related tracks to serve as clinic aides as part of their immersion program.

Another immersion program for SHS students, specifically those under tracks related to food and beverages, is preparing nutritious food to be distributed to schools for the SBFP.

To reach more schools and serve more learners, DepEd would also propose the provision of mobile clinics.