THE pandemic brought so many challenges to the Department of Education. In the midst of the uncertainties, the agency worked hard to ensure that education continues through the new distance learning modalities. Learning does not happen now inside the classroom but inside the safe confines of our learners’ homes.
The challenge too does not only stop with making sure that blended learning is successful, but there is also a need to prioritize the health and well-being of the learners. As part of the support services for our students, the Department launched in 2018 the Oplan Kalusugan (OK) sa DepEd Program that focuses on major school health and nutrition programs specifically the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP), National Drug Education Program (NDEP), Adolescent Reproductive Health Education (ARH), Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools (WinS), and Medical, Dental, and Nursing Services.
DepEd Region III vows to further strengthen the provision of health services to our learners through our Basic Education Learning Continuity Operational Plan for School Year 2021-2022. Guided by the four pillars of the Sulong Edukalidad framework, we will ensure that our efforts will be geared towards the improvement of the learning environment, putting great emphasis in the health and welfare of our students.
As DepEd Region III actively participated in the National Simultaneous Kick-off of the One Health Week Celebration, we will work together and strengthen our bayanihan spirit to promote and advocate good health in our schools and in our learners’ homes.
For SY 2020-2021, we were able to provide one million two hundred forty thousand Kinder to Grade 6 students with oral hygiene kits to help our learners maintain good oral health even in the absence of face to face classes. These hygiene kits are a household-level ORAL and WASH intervention recommended for use during this pandemic responses and other oral health problems that our learners are experiencing. The proper oral health care and good health practices will improve their learning habits as they maintain their personal health in good condition. At the same time, the 114 fully functional school dental clinics established in RegionIII, equipped with dental and medical supplies can provide access to health services among learners and personnel.
Through the School-Based Feeding Program, there were 322,411 food products and 319, 603 milk for feeding was distributed to address the nutritional needs of learners in the region. Schools strategized schemes to deliver nutritious food products and milk packs to the beneficiaries in their homes. Parents were asked to pick up the nutritious food products and milk packs on designated days and time or school personnel also distributed them using school vehicles. School heads also coordinated with partners such as barangay officials or non-government organizations (NGOs) to distribute the milk packs to the homes of the beneficiaries.
DepEd Region 3 commits to ensure improvement in the access to our education services through a more strengthened Oplan Kalusugan sa DepEd Program for this SY 2021-2022.