5 days ago
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
