
DOH to help establish anti-vape, anti-tobacco student councils in PH schools
According to a statement on Tuesday, the planned anti-vape and anti-tobacco councils aim to influence students and inform them on the risks of tobacco and vape use.
Student leaders from Eusebio High School in Pasig City will establish the first anti-vape and anti-tobacco council.
The Health Department said its goal is to make schools vape- and tobacco-free through continuous campaigns with other government agencies, civil societies, and the youth.
Earlier, a pulmonologist warned students regarding the dangers and effects of third-hand smoke.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said a 2019 study revealed that 809,677 or 12.5% of Filipino youths were tobacco users, while 913,316 or 14.1% used electronic cigarettes.
According to a survey by the Global Burden of Disease in 2021, tobacco smoking was named as the top cause of deaths in the country, with 88,169 deaths recorded in 2021. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/RF, GMA Integrated News

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


GMA Network
10 hours ago
- GMA Network
Filipino bishops call online gambling addiction 'bagong salot or new plague'
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Tuesday warned the faithful against online gambling, calling it bagong salot or a new plague. In a statement signed by CBCP President and Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David, the group of Filipino bishops described online gambling as a deep and widespread moral issue hiding in entertainment and technology. 'Sa pagsusugal ang konsensiya ay unti-unting nagiging manhid. Tinuturuan tayong isipin na ito ay 'normal,' 'pampasaya,' o 'wala namang masama',' CBCP said. (With gambling, the conscience gradually becomes numb. We are taught to think that it is 'normal,' 'fun,' or 'there is nothing wrong with it.') The prelates noted that online gambling has become a public health crisis, comparing it to illegal drugs and other addictions, as it not only destroys a person but also a family's relationship. 'Hindi natin matiis na manahimik sapagkat ang pagkasugapa at ang pagiging talamak ng sugal ay salot, isang virus na sumisira at pumapatay sa mga indibidwal, pamilya at lipunan,' CBCP said. (We cannot afford to remain silent because addiction and the prevalence of gambling are a plague, a virus that destroys and kills individuals, families and societies.) The bishops also urged the government to impose appropriate regulations on online payment systems to restrict the public, especially the youth, from using them for online gambling. The government, they church leaders said, could prioritize the welfare of the public and not to promote gambling for the income this can generate. Meanwhile, the CBCP called on the faithful to speak out against online gambling and help addicts recover. 'Hindi laban sa pagsasaya ang Simbahan pero kapag ang kasiyahan ay nagiging sanhi ng pagkaalipin, at ang 'libangan' ay nagiging dahilan ng pagkawasak ng buhay — kailangan naming manawagan at magbigay ng babala,' CBCP said. (The Church is not against having fun, but when fun becomes a cause of slavery, and 'fun' becomes a cause of the destruction of life — we must call out and issue a warning.) 'Nais naming magpa-alala na tayo'y makakaalpas sa pagkaalipin sa pamamagitan ng marangal na trabaho, at sa patuloy na pagtahak ng landas ng katotohanan, kabutihan, katarungan, at higit sa lahat sa biyaya ng Diyos,' it added. (We remind everyone that we can break free from addiction through honest work, by continuing to walk the path of truth, goodness, and justice — and above all, the grace of God.) Proposed legislations Akbayan party-list Representatives Chel Diokno, Perci Cendaña, and Dadah Ismulla filed a measure restricting access to online gambling. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday proposed a measure that would impose strict regulations for online gambling in the country. Senator Risa Hontiveros filed a bill seeking to ban online gambling access in e-wallets and super apps in response to the growing clamor for tighter regulations on such games. Senator JV Ejercito, who earlier called for urgent and stricter government regulation of online gambling, said that he may consider pushing for its total ban depending on the results from studies. Meanwhile, Senator Juan Miguel 'Migz' Zubir filed a bill seeking an outright ban on all forms of online gambling. — BAP, GMA Integrated News


GMA Network
11 hours ago
- GMA Network
DepEd, DOH expand healthy learning program to 1,500 public schools
More than 1,500 public schools across the Philippines are now implementing health-promoting policies and practices under the Department of Education's (DepEd) Healthy Learning Institutions (HLI) program—a nationwide initiative in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH) and other stakeholders to make schools safer, healthier, and more inclusive for learners. The HLI initiative, launched in 2022, supports schools in improving sanitation facilities, strengthening nutrition and mental health services, and enhancing learner well-being. Backed by a joint administrative order signed by seven agencies, including DepEd, DOH, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Legal Education Board (LEB), the program brings to life the Universal Health Care Act's vision of schools as healthy settings for children and adolescents. A major focus of the initiative has been on so-called 'Last Mile Schools,' or institutions in geographically isolated or underserved communities. According to the education department, over 1,300 of the participating schools fall under this category, receiving direct support for improvements ranging from hygiene facilities to health training. One such school is Taguiporo Elementary School in Bantay, Ilocos Sur. Previously struggling with poor sanitation and limited services, it has since been recognized as one of the 38 Outstanding Last Mile Schools after receiving a P100,000 grant. The funds were used to build gender-sensitive, PWD-accessible toilets; expand feeding and dental programs; and start a backyard garden that now feeds students and their families. The HLI program is structured around six pillars of school health and well-being, assessed using a self-appraisal system. In 2024, DepEd launched a three-tier recognition framework certifying schools as Satisfactory, Very Satisfactory, or Outstanding based on compliance with health standards developed with WHO guidance and local policy. To further strengthen implementation, national onboarding sessions for school heads and health officers are scheduled for July 14–15. DepEd is also rolling out a School Self-Appraisal Checklist and a shared 'Map of Materials' to support health promotion in campuses. Although the program is currently operating under interim guidelines, DepEd is preparing a department order to institutionalize the HLI framework. This upcoming policy will embed the star-rating system into the agency's Learner Support Framework and make health promotion a sustained part of school operations. 'Hindi lang dapat ligtas sa sakuna ang paaralan. Dapat ligtas din sa gutom, sa sakit, at sa kawalan ng suporta,' said Education Secretary Sonny Angara. (Schools should not only be safe from disasters but also free from hunger, illness, and lack of support.) —VBL, GMA Integrated News


GMA Network
a day ago
- GMA Network
Palace says DOH has enough funds to settle claims of private hospitals
Malacañang on Monday guaranteed that the Department of Health (DOH) has sufficient funds to settle the claims of private hospitals for services and treatments provided to indigent patients. At a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro clarified reports that some health facilities have stopped accepting government guarantee letters covering the hospital bills of patients who have no financial capacity to pay. She said that 39 hospitals in Batangas are facing issues with guarantee letters due to incomplete or missing documentation. 'Hindi naman po nagkakaproblema ang gobyerno patungkol po sa pagbabayad ng mga bills po ng ating mga kababayan na covered po ng guarantee letters,' Castro said. (The government does not encounter problems in settling bills for Filipinos who are covered with guarantee letters.) 'Dito lamang po sa 39 hospitals na kinakailangan po ng DOH iyong ibang mga dokumento para po sila'y mabayaran. So doon po sa maniningil na mga hospitals, kumpletuhin lang po iyong inyong mga dokumento dahil po ang DOH ang sinasabi sa atin ay may sapat na pondo,' Castro explained. (In these 39 hospitals, the DOH needs documents so they can get paid. So for those hospitals, just complete the documents needed by the DOH because the latter is saying that it has enough funds.) She noted that under the Universal Health Care Act and a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the DOH and private hospitals, the latter are required to allocate 10 percent of their authorized bed capacity for poor patients. She said indigent patients are entitled to zero hospital billing through the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth). Castro added that they could also visit DOH hospitals without the need for guarantee letters from government officials.—LDF, GMA