BONGAO,
Tawi-Tawi – School children of Tawi-Tawi will now be taught to
practice healthy habits to ensure better attendance in school and improve their
academic performance. This very simple but cost effective program is
being supported by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID)
and its German partner, Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit
(GIZ).
Tawi-Tawi,
the country’s southernmost island province located 1,300 kilometers away from
Manila, joins more than 30 provinces nationwide that are actively implementing
the Essential Health Care Program (EHCP), the flagship school health program of
the Department of Education (DepEd).
August
29, 2012 marked a new milestone of the province when stakeholders of the
internationally recognized school health program officially witnessed the historic EHCP launch
and MOA signing by the Department of Education-Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (DepEd-ARMM), the Provincial Government headed by Governor Sadikul
Sahali, and Fit for School, a Philippine non-government organization that
assists DepEd in EHCP implementation.
The
launch and signing was held at the Conference Hall of the DepEd Tawi-Tawi
Division.
EHCP
scale up is a component of AusAID’s long-term education assistance to the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). EHCP consists of three
interventions: daily handwashing with soap, daily tooth brushing with
fluoride toothpaste and bi-annual deworming activity.
In
Tawi-Tawi, the program was initially implemented in five model schools, which
will benefit 3,000 children during the school year 2012-2013.
Subsequently, the program will be implemented in all public primary
schools in Tawi-Tawi to be supported by local government units.
The
identified five model schools are Datu Halun Laboratory Elementary School,
Tubig Tanah Elementary School, Sea Orchids Elementary School, Datu Halun
Laboratory Elementary School in Bongao and Batu-Batu Central School and
Panglima Jalman in Panglima Sugala. (Fit for School PR)
