Republika ng Pilipinas

Kagawaran ng Edukasyon
Tanggapan ng Pangalawang Kalihim

OUA MEMO 00-0821-0135

MEMORANDUM
17 August 2021

For: Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones

Subject: REQUEST FOR MESSAGES AND APPEARANCES IN

THE OK SA DEPED ONE HEALTH WEEK
EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

This is relation to OUA Memorandum No. 00-0821-0097, titled Support

and Participation in the Celebration of National Events of the Administration
Strand Programs and Services Leading to the September 13 Opening of SY 2021-
2022. Among the said events is One Health Week, institutionalized by DepEd
Order No. 28, s. 2018 or the Policy and Guidelines on Oplan Kalusugan sa
Department of Education.

The Honorable Secretary is respectfully requested to grace the activities

for the One Health Week through the following:

Event Request from the Secretary

September 6, 2021. Kickoff of the One
Health Week and Simultaneous Inauguration
of School Medical and Dental Clinics and
Launch of School Dental Health Care
Program
• Sign invitation to the President to
participate in the launching and request
for a pre-recorded message
• Pre-recorded message for the launching
• Join the virtual launching of 1886 school
medical and dental clinics

September 7, 2021. For the WinS: Schools
Reaching for the Stars (Launch of the WinS
Seal of Excellence)
September 8, 2021. National Launch of the
SBFP 2021-2022
September 9, 2021. National Launch of the
CSE-ARH Convergence
• Prepare a 5-minute recorded message
that will be shown during the activity
• Prepare the recorded Keynote Message
• Record for the ceremonial food product
and milk toast together with other
members of the ExeCom
• Prepare a 5-minute recorded message
that will be shown during the activity

Office of the Undersecretary for Administration (OUA)

[Administrative Service (AS), Information and Communications Technology Service (ICTS),
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS), Bureau of Learner Support
Services (BLSS), Baguio Teachers' Camp (BTC), Central Security & Safety Office (CSSO)]
Department of Education, Central Office, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City
Rm 519, Mabini Bldg; Mobile: +639260320762; Tel: +63286337203,
+63286376207
Email: usec.admin@deped.gov.ph; Facebook/Twitter @depedtayo
September 10, 2021. Webinar on School
Mental Health Initiatives and Ceremonial
Observance of the World Suicide Prevention
Day
September 11, 2021. Webinar on
Strengthening the Implementation of NDEP
in Schools
September 11, 2021. Closing Program of the
One Health Week
• Prepare a 5-minute recorded message
that will be shown during the activity
• Prepare a 5-minute recorded message
that will be shown during the activity
• Prepare a 5-minute recorded special
message expressing appreciation to
health personnel

Attached are the proposed talking points for each of the activities
enumerated above (Annex A).

For further queries on these activities, please contact Dr. Maria Corazon
C. Dumlao, Chief, BLSS-SHD, at 86329935 or email at
maria.dumlao@deped.gov.ph or blss.shd@deped.gov.ph.

Thank you.

ALAIN DEL B. PASCUA

Undersecretary
Annex A

Suggested Talking Points for the Honorable Secretary for

the Kickoff of One Health Week and
Simultaneous Inauguration of School Medical and Dental Clinics and
Launch of School Dental Health Care Program
(September 6, 2021)

• It is with great honor and pleasure to welcome all of you to this morning’s
simultaneous inauguration ceremony of the school medical and dental
clinics happening in various sites all over the country. This inauguration
marks the launching of the School Dental Health Care Program under
the Oplan sa Kalusugan sa DepEd or OK sa DepEd, an initiative that we
launched in 2018 to facilitate the convergence and strengthening of our
health and nutrition programs and services in DepEd.

• Today also marks the first day of our One Health Week celebration where
we showcase our flagship programs under OK sa DepEd. Right in time
for the opening of the new school year on Monday, our theme for this
year’s One Health Week is Bayanihan para sa Kalusugan: OK sa DepEd,
sa Paaralan at sa Tahanan, as we recognize the importance of access to
health and nutrition programs and services for our learners, whichever
learning modality they are in to.

• Even before the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, DepEd
has already been fervently pushing for the establishment and
refurbishment of school clinics to ensure that our learners have access
to basic medical and dental services while they are in school.

• Common ailments such as oral diseases caused absenteeism, affecting

the learning outcomes and productivity of our learners. Various studies
have revealed that learners who are sick and lack access to health
services usually have poor academic performance, thus are at risk of
failure.

• Most of us had experienced the pain and anguish of being unwell in

school when we were still students. Even now, pain due to toothache,
diarrhea, or any other type of body aches, makes us unable to
concentrate and generally affects our performance and even our overall
well-being.

• The Department is not unaware of the health challenges faced by our

learners, including the high prevalence of dental caries among them. This
is why I have earnestly said in my past statements that it is necessary to
address this even during the time of the pandemic, emphasizing that the
health, well-being, and safety of our learners as well as our personnel
remain our priority.
• We are thankful to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte who has approved the
allocation of funds for the establishment of the clinics we are
inaugurating today, paving the way for a stronger School Dental Health
Care Program in DepEd, which we are also launching today. The program
aims to establish more functional clinics that can provide basic
preventive and curative health services in public schools.

• The 1869 school medical and dental clinics that we are ceremonially
inaugurating today have been established nationwide, as a key
component of the School Dental Health Care Program, under the Medical,
Dental, and Nursing Services of OK sa DepEd. All these clinics are
equipped with medical and dental supplies to be used for the delivery of
health services among learners and DepEd personnel.

• The program has been confronted by various challenges especially with

the limitations on face-to-face activities during the pandemic, but I am
hopeful that our medical and dental clinics will offer a ray of hope and
will play a big role in ensuring the safe return of our learners to school
once limited face-to-face classes are already allowed by the President.

• I am confident of this especially that I have seen the commitment of our

school doctors, dentists, and nurses in delivering the best medical,
dental, and nursing services to our learners and personnel, especially
during this pandemic, when their critical contribution in the basic
education sector has never been more magnified. Even without physical
classes, I am aware of how our health personnel have utilized telehealth
and strengthened its linkages with the health providers in the community
to ensure that the health concerns of our learners are addressed while
they are in their homes. Thank you for being DepEd’s healthcare heroes
in our fight against COVID-19. I hope that these new clinics will help you
further intensify the delivery of services especially as we prepare for the
possible resumption of physical classes.

• As I have always emphasized since the crafting of our ten-point agenda,

our work in and for the basic education sector is not exclusive to DepEd
alone. Our work will always be characterized by multi-sectoral
collaboration geared toward the achievement of shared education goals.
With this, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge two of our
many partners for the health of our learners. We are grateful to Colgate-
Palmolive Philippines Inc. for their support and generosity in providing
oral health kits to our Kindergarten learners. They have been a great
instrument to promote oral health education among young public-school
learners by instilling healthy dental habits. I would also like to
acknowledge the initiative of Philippine Dental Association to offer free
dental services to our learners especially amidst these difficult times.
Such partnerships help DepEd strengthen the delivery of health and
nutrition programs for learners and personnel.
• May the ceremonies we are holding this morning be symbolic of the bright
and healthy future ahead of us. Later today, we will be the first to walk
through the premises of this new clinic in this school. May that be a
symbolic gesture of our paving the way for many more others who will be
entering these promises to avail of health services. That is, the hundred,
thousands, and even millions of learners who will be benefiting from the
clinics we have established and will continue to establish in the future—
in the next few school years and in the generations to come.
 Suggested Talking Points for the Honorable Secretary for
“For the WinS: Schools Reaching for the Stars”
(Launch of the WinS Seal of Excellence)
September 7, 2021

• We are now on the second day of our One Health Week, a week-long
celebration in DepEd where we showcase our different school health and
nutrition programs. This morning, we inaugurated our newly constructed
school buildings nationwide, as a testament to our commitment to ensure
that our pursuit of quality education is strengthened by a supportive
learning environment. More than just the infrastructure and facilities, a
supportive learning environment is about policies and programs that
comprehensively address the various factors that affect learning. Among
these factors are a set of health indicators popularly known by the
acronym WASH which stands for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene.

• On this second day of the One Health Week, our field offices and schools
nationwide focus on the WASH in Schools Program. Anchored on DepEd
Order No. 10, s. 2016 and further expounded on in DepEd Memorandum
194, s. 2018, the program aims to promote correct hygiene and sanitation
practices among school children and a clean environment in and around
schools to keep learners safe and healthy.

• DepEd underscores the importance of ensuring the health, safety, and

proper hygiene of school personnel, parents, and the learners in schools and
even at home, as in the case of our current learning modality due to the
threats of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Through the effective
implementation of the WASH in Schools Program, and contextualizing its
relevant provisions in home-based settings, the possibility of spreading
infections, such as COVID-19, will significantly decrease.

• The ongoing challenge brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic has put
the spotlight on the important role of the DepEd’s WASH in Schools Program
in ensuring that education must continue no matter what the situation.
Even in the plan to safely reopen the schools when already allowed by the
President, various indicators of the WinS Program have been adopted in the
tools to assess the readiness of schools to conduct physical classes.

• The pandemic has made us realize the need to emphasize WASH in Schools
as one of the foundations of a safe and healthy learning environment. It has
affirmed the need to strengthen our institutional systems and capacities to
promote WASH in Schools as a key ingredient in safe reopening of schools
and in infection prevention control.

• The WinS monitoring data show substantial improvement over the past 4
years. Even so, there are still many opportunities for improvement especially
as we keep on learning from the way we have implemented the program in
this time of pandemic.
• DepEd remains true to its promise that schools will always be a safe place
for both the learners and personnel as we ensure that various health and
nutrition programs, including WASH in Schools, will continue no matter
what the situation – pandemic or not.

• While our learners are still in remote learning, proper hygiene and sanitation
practices are being emphasized even at home to strengthen WASH behaviors
and prevent the spread of infections, like COVID-19. Let us continue to work
collaboratively and have broader and more targeted engagements not just
with our teachers and learners but also with parents.

• We thank our partners for helping us build the capacities of our teaching
and non-teaching personnel in promoting and supporting our WASH in
Schools Program amid the pandemic, especially in implementing infection
prevention and control measures. With our established WASH in Schools
Program, the online orientations and trainings, learning exchanges, and the
WinS Massive Open Online Courses, have provided important reminders of
the WinS standards, mechanisms, and tools that have been in place for use
at the national, regional, division, and even at the school level.

• We have repeatedly emphasized the centrality of partnerships in all that we

do. For the WASH in Schools Program, DepEd has been at work with GIZ
(pronounced as Gee-Ay-Zed), UNICEF, and Save the Children Philippines, in
developing innovative tools for promoting, implementing, and monitoring the
program. Our schools, under the guidance and assistance of the regional
and division offices, have developed innovative ways to implement WASH in
Schools and address their need for handwashing facilities and supplies,
toilets, toothbrushing, and in promoting hygiene.

• On behalf of the Department, I would like to take this opportunity to express

our gratitude to UNICEF Philippines, Save the Children, and GIZ
(pronounced as Gee-Ay-Zed) for having been with us through the years, and
most especially, in these challenging times. Our gratitude also goes to our
WinS Coordinators and advocates across all governance levels, for tirelessly
keeping up with the standards and expectations we have set. And to
everyone, particularly our parents, for championing WASH at home.
Whatever we have achieved so far in this noble advocacy, it is because of the
collaborative efforts all of us have put together.

• The Department of Education affirms its commitment in ensuring the

health, safety and well-being of teachers and the whole school community.
Truly, as one DepEd Family, we are “For the WinS.” Magandang araw po at
mabuhay tayong lahat!
 Suggested Talking Points for the Honorable Secretary
for the National Launch of the SBFP 2021-2022
September 8, 2021

• We are now on the third day of our One Health Week, institutionalized by
DepEd Order No. 28, s. 2018 or the Policy and Guidelines on Oplan
Kalusugan sa Department of Education (OK sa DepEd). This week, we
showcase DepEd’s school health and nutrition programs and services
and how their convergence, through OK sa DepEd, effectively
complements and supports our curriculum and instruction.

• Today, in particular, we highlight one of the flagship programs of OK sa

DepEd, the School-Based Feeding Program or SBFP. It is my joy to be
with all of you, our partners, fellow champions of health and nutrition,
dear stakeholders, as we partake in the National Launch of the SBFP for
SY 2021-2022, signifying our readiness to implement the program this
new school year. Shortly after our national launch, regional launches will
follow, led by our Regional Directors.

• The Department of Education maintains its commitment to provide good

nutrition to learners amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. And so, for this
School Year 2021-20221, we are glad to announce the readiness of the
department to continue the implementation of the SBFP. We have
successfully did this for the previous school year, we are excited to prove
it again this new school year. During the SY2020-2021, the SBFP served
more than 3.5 Million learners from Kindergarten to Grade 6 in more
than 34, 000 schools nationwide. We expect to serve more learners this
school year.

• The Department believes that the SBFP is an excellent intervention for

school-aged learners as it offers an opportunity not only to enhance their
nutrition status but also to improve their school participation and
achieve educational outcomes. The benefits of feeding school-age
learners include alleviating hunger, reducing micronutrient deficiency
and anemia, improving school enrolment and attendance, and increasing
cognitive and academic performance.

• The SBFP is also an excellent demonstration of an inter-agency, whole-

of-government, and multi-sectoral collaboration, especially at a time
when we need it the most.

• We regularly coordinate with and participate in the initiatives of the

National Nutrition Council (NNC), to ensure that our initiatives are
aligned with and contributory to national directions and standards in
nutrition.

The nutritious food products served to SBFP beneficiaries may be

composed of enhanced nutribun developed by the DOST-Food and
Nutrition and Research Institute (DOST-FNRI); milky Bun developed by
 the DA-Philippine Carabao Center (PCC); or local fruits and vegetables,
root crops, and cereals and grains sourced from local farmer groups
supported by the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of
Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD), and National Irrigation Administration (NIA).
• The fresh milk and fresh milk-based products served to learners in
accordance with RA 11037 or the “Masustansyang Pagkain Para sa
Batang Pilipino” Act are sourced from local dairy farmers through the DA-
National Dairy Authority (DA-NDA) and DA-PCC. Thus, with SBFP, we
are not only catering to the needs of our school children, but we are also
able to help our farmers and small and medium entrepreneurs.

• Through the SBFP, DepEd also contributes to the realization of the goals
the Inter-Agency Task Force on Zero Hunger created by Executive Order
No. 101, s. 2020, putting utmost importance in addressing hunger and
malnutrition in the Philippines.

• Likewise, the SBFP reinvigorate our agriculture and local dairy industry
thereby generating livelihood and income for our smallholder farmers,
cooperatives and small and medium enterprises supplying the
requirements of our nutritious food products and fresh milk.

• Beyond national partnerships, DepEd is also seeking regional and

international cooperation for its nutrition programs and interventions.
We are part of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization
- Regional Centre for Food and Nutrition or SEAMEO RECFON through
which we work towards a more comprehensive School-Based Nutrition
Program. Just recently, the Philippines, through DepEd, has joined the
global “School Meals Coalition: Nutrition, Health, and Education for
Every Child” which will be launched during the UN Food Systems Summit
(UNFSS) this September 2021 in New York. We hope that by joining this
coalition, we can further strengthen the implementation of the SBFP and
our other nutrition programs and initiatives.

• As I close, allow me to take this opportunity to acknowledge these

partners whom we have also invited to partake in today’s launch of the
SBFP—the Office of the Cabinet Secretary (OCS), DA-NDA and PCC, NNC,
DA, DAR, DSWD, NIA, LGUs, and other organizations. Thank you for
making the success of the SBFP possible.

• Lastly, let me congratulate and thank all implementers from the national
level down to the school level for your dedication and hard work,
motivated by your genuine love for our learners. You are key to the
successful implementation of the program last school year despite the
pandemic, as you will be again this new school year. I wish you the best
and good health and safety as we continue the program this year.
 Suggested Talking Points for the Honorable Secretary
for the National Launch of the CSE-ARH Convergence
(September 9, 2021)

• Isang mapagpalang araw para sa lahat!

• Sa pagdiriwang natin ngayong linggo ng One Health Week bilang bahagi

ng Oplan Kalusugan sa DepEd o OK sa DepEd, nais natin bigyang halaga
ang pangangalaga sa kalusugan, ng ating sarili, pamilya at komunidad.
Kasama na dito ang pangangalaga sa ating reproductive health.

• Ipinatutupad ng Kagawaran ang OK sa DepEd sa pamamagitan ng

DepEd Order 28, s. 2018. Isa sa mga programa ng OK sa DepEd ang
Adolescent Reproductive Health na naglalayong bigyan na sapat na
impormasyon at kaukulang serbisyo ang ating mga kabataan pagdating
sa reproductive health. Ang programa ay sumusuporta din sa DepEd
Order 31, s. 2018 o Comprehensive Sexuality Education kung saan
isinasama sa aralin ang mga mahahalagang konsepto para maunawan
ng mga kabataan ang mga pagbabago sa kanilang katawan at paano ito
mapaghahandaan.

• Sa pagkakaroon ng Comprehensive Sexuality Education - Adolescent

Reproductive Health Convergence, mas pinatibay ng kagawaran ang
pakikipag-ugnayan sa ating mga health service providers sa pagtugon ng
pangangailang medikal ng ating mag-aaral. Kasama ang Kagawaran ng
Kalusugan, Commission on Population and Development at ang mga
organisasyon tulad ng USAID at UNFPA, isa muli itong hakbang para sa
ating kabataan.

• Mula sa pagpasa ng Reproductive Health at Responsible Parenthood Act,

sa naumpisahan nating 2019 Kapit Kamay Summit, hanggang sa
paglabas ng Executive Order 141 na binibigyang solusyon ang adolescent
pregnancy, patuloy nating ipagpapabuti ang pagbibigay ng kalidad na
serbisyong pangkalusugan para sa ating mga mag-aaral.

• Para sa malusog at masayang pamilyang Pilipino!

 Suggested Talking Points for the Honorable Secretary for
the Webinar on School Mental Health Initiatives and
Ceremonial Observance of the World Suicide Prevention Day
(September 10, 2021)

• We are observing at least two occasions today.

• First, we are on the fifth day of this year’s One Health Week in the
Department of Education, where we showcase how our health and
nutrition programs to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of our
learners as we formally open our classes next week.

• Secondly, it’s World Suicide Prevention Day, where globally,

governments, organizations, communities, and individuals, unite to raise
awareness on a significant issue concerning our work on mental health
promotion. That is, suicides.

• And so today, we have specifically chosen the School Mental Health

Program as the OK sa DepEd flagship program to highlight in today’s line-
up of activities for the One Health Week.

• We recognize that schooling is a significant part of a Filipino’s life.

Thirteen years of a Filipino’s life, especially since we launched the K-12
Curriculum, is spent learning the competencies laid out in our basic
education curriculum. More than just receiving instruction, that means
being part of a school community, being immersed in its culture, and
being connected to its people.

• This keeps us grounded in our work—to make sure that every program
implemented, every policy passed, every intervention provided to our
learners, does not only allow them to navigate the crucial years of their
development, but also prepares them for the life ahead of them when they
graduate from Grade 12. We are not only talking about basic literally
skills or the major academic subjects. We are talking about nearly every
aspect of our learner’s lives, including their mental health.

• Even before the passing of Republic Act 11036 or the Mental Health Act,
DepEd has already been implementing various efforts related to the
promotion of mental health and well-being. We have mental health
concepts integrated in the curriculum. We have efforts to strengthen the
delivery of guidance and counseling services in our schools. Mental
Health and Psychosocial Services or MHPSS is a key component of our
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Framework. We have
identified mental well-being as a key component of our employee welfare
framework. And we have identified the School Mental Health Program as
a flagship program of OK sa DepEd to ensure mental health promotion
and effective linkage to mental health services for our learners.
• Earlier this year, we have formed a Technical Working Group composed
of concerned offices and associations in DepEd, who will help ensure that
all these efforts are strengthened, harmonized, and streamlined,
according to our mandate under the Mental Health Act. I have specifically
designated Usec. Alain Del B. Pascua and ASec. Salvador C. Malana III
to be the ExeCom-in-Charge of this TWG, as they also represent DepEd
in the Philippine Council for Mental Health to ensure that our mandate
under the law is fulfilled.

• I hope that this afternoon’s virtual activity on school mental health

practices and initiatives will serve as safe space for us to discuss how we
can effectively fulfill our mandate under the law.

• But more than just fulfilling our legal mandates, may we explore ways on
how our programs and policies can practically translate to meaningful
and life-changing experiences for our learners every day that they are in
school, whether physically or virtually.

• At the end of the day, this is not just about legalities. This is about being
able to touch each of the lives of the millions of learners who go through
their basic education. This is about lives saved from suicide. This is about
mental health conditions prevented from progressing because immediate
support is made readily available and accessible. This is about teachers
and learners and other school personnel becoming positive support to
each other in a positive school climate.

• Together, we can make this happen. Have a great day.

 Suggested Talking Points for the Honorable Secretary for the
Webinar on Strengthening the Implementation of NDEP in Schools
(September 11, 2021)

• We are on the last day of our One Health Week, a week-long celebration
where we showcase our health and nutrition initiatives under the banner
Oplan Kalusugan sa DepEd.

• Today, we specifically highlight our National Drug Education Program or

NDEP, one of the flagship programs of OK sa DepEd.

• There is a wide variety of substances that are being abused by teenagers.

Some of the most frequent drug abuses include tobacco products,
depressants, cannabinoids, and narcotics. Several studies have
repeatedly proven that the use of illegal drugs generally results in
physical, psychological, and behavioral problems. Among learners, these
problems can lead to failure to realize educational potentials, as they
potentially lead to poor school performance as well as dropping out.

• It is due to the abovementioned reasons that we are into drug education

and prevention interventions. We recognize that schools play an
important role, both inside and beyond the classroom, in preventing
alcohol, tobacco use, and other drug harms. While providing drug
education as part of the curriculum is important, there’s more that
schools can do.

• NDEP allows us to accomplish that. NDEP is a comprehensive

educational program which provides for a holistic approach to the
problem of drug abuse. It was designed to enable all sectors to work
collaboratively with the school system as the core, thereby, unifying all
sectoral endeavors.

• Given DepEd’s role as critical actor in the implementation of policies,

programs and interventions on illegal drug use prevention and education,
the implementation of NDEP has also been aligned with the government’s
pursuit of a comprehensive approach in addressing the issue of illegal
drugs, as mandated under Republic Act (RA) 9165, otherwise known as
the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

• NDEP puts together various components for their comprehensive

implementation at the school level.

o Through the Curriculum and Instruction component of NDEP, drug

education concepts are integrated into the curriculum and
appropriate instructional materials are developed to help develop the
spiritual, moral, mental, and physical capabilities of learners.

o Through the Co-Curricular and Ancillary Services component,

learners are provided with constructive and valuable experiences,
 opportunities, and pursuits which can prevent and diminish drug
abuse by providing greater satisfaction and fulfillment than drugs.
These also include health services, as well as guidance and counseling
services.

o The Teacher/Staff Development component provides capacity building

opportunities for NDEP Coordinators, BKD Coordinators, teachers,
health personnel, and other non-teaching personnel in relevant topics
on substance use prevention.

o The Parent Education and Community Outreach component aims to

unite school efforts with those of the community and related
organizations.

o Lastly, the Research, Monitoring and Evaluation component involves

the built-in assessment of the different components of the Program.

• While it is the Bureau of Learner Support Services, through School

Health Division, that coordinates the implementation of NDEP, several
other offices also implement their respective activities in support of NDEP
according to their office mandates. Various initiatives supportive of the
five components of NDEP are also implemented at each governance level.

• Recognizing that tobacco and other nicotine products are the substances
mostly used by young people, we also implement a comprehensive
tobacco control policy that supports the implementation of NDEP.

• At the beginning of our administration, we have specifically identified

strengthening NDEP among our priority actions in our Ten-Point
Education Agenda, pursuant to the instruction of the President.

• Today, let us look back and celebrate some of the milestones in the
implementation of the program. Let us recognize our NDEP coordinators
and other health and nutrition personnel who have worked diligently
together with our partners to ensure the achievement of the goals of the
program. More importantly, let us continue the discussion on how we
can further strengthen the implementation of the program for the benefit
of our learners, who are at the center of our work.
 Suggested Talking Points for the Honorable Secretary for the
Closing Program of the One Health Week
(September 11, 2021)

• Today, we conclude our celebration of this year’s “One Health Week.”

• For each day of the past week, we have showcased a flagship program
under the Oplan Kalusugan sa DepEd or OK sa DepEd. An initiative that
we launched in 2018, OK sa DepEd is the convergence of DepEd's health
programs, policies, and activities geared towards their effective and
efficient implementation at the school level, in partnership with various
stakeholders.

• For each day of the past week, I have shared my message of support and
message of appreciation for our partners for each of the OK sa DepEd
flagship programs: 1) School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP); 2) National
Drug Education Program (NDEP); 3) Adolescent Reproductive Health
Education (ARH); 4) Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools;
5) Medical, Dental, and Nursing Services; 6) School Mental Health
Program.

• I have shared how I see each of these programs weaves into the overall
directions of the Department; how health is not subordinate to the
academic needs of our learners, but addressing their health concerns is
integral to their holistic development.

• In each of those messages, I have mentioned how the implementation of

the program succeeds not because of the efforts of a few, but because of
unified efforts of various units within DepEd, and of various
organizations and sectors outside DepEd.

• While everyone has a role to play to ensure the success of our health
programs, there are those who play key roles and make major
contributions. Today, as the celebration of the One Health Week ends, I
want to take this opportunity to once again acknowledge them who are
our key players, our frontliners, our heroes so to speak, when it comes
to the implementation of our health and nutrition programs—

our dear public health workers in DepEd, our doctors, dentists, nurses,
nutritionist-dietitians, and other school health and nutrition personnel.

• Through the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has recognized that health
is a crucial foundation that any society must be built on for it to survive.
While we have recognized the same even before the pandemic, these
challenging times we find ourselves in have given us many opportunities
to notice how having a pool of health professionals among us is a gift that
we should always be thankful for.
• Allow me to take this time to thank you, our dear health and nutrition
personnel, for your decades of hard work in Department, not only in
health education, but also in coordinating health and nutrition
programs, and in the actual delivery of health and nutrition services for
our learners and personnel.

• Since as early as 2017, when we had our National Conference for Public
Health Workers in DepEd, I have already emphasized how much your
expertise is needed in DepEd to ensure that our health and nutrition
initiatives are effectively sustained.

• This pandemic has magnified how your profession is not only needed, but
even crucial, for learning to continue amid this crisis, and even to thrive
in the New Normal that will be formed when this pandemic is over. Thank
you for continuing to implement our health and nutrition programs, even
as you lead our COVID-19 response.

• We have signed a Joint Memorandum Circular together with the DOH

and other agencies to ensure that our schools become healthy settings,
according to our mandate under the Universal Health Care Law.

• We are also at the stage of finalizing the Basic Education Development

Plan. The medium-term plan continues to recognize health and nutrition
activities among the strategies that need to be undertaken so that the
educational outcomes laid out in the Plan’s Results Framework will be
achieved.

• This school year and in the many more school years to come, health and
nutrition will always be an essential part of our basic education, and you,
our dear health and nutrition personnel will continue to be essential
members of the DepEd Family.

• Para sa lahat, sa mga guro, sa mga magulang, sa ating mga learners, sa

mga kawani ng DepED, sa ating mga partners, at sa iba pang
stakeholders, ating ipagpapatuloy ang Bayanihan para sa Kalusugan…
dahil OK sa DepEd, sa Paaralan man o sa Tahanan.