Republic of the Philippines

Department of Health
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

May 21, 2021

DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM
No. 2021 -

TO: INISTER OF _BARMM. ALL DIRECTORS

HE, OF CENTE
FOR HEALTH DEVELOPMENT, BUREAUS AND OFFICES OF THIS
DEPARTMENT; AND ALL OTHERS CONCERNED

SUBJECT:
Playbook
Pursuant to the mandate of the DOH leading in the implementation of population-wide

Health
health promotion policies and programs across social determinants of health and behavioral
risk factors as per the Universal Health Care Law, the DOH Health Promotion Bureau (HPB)
has developed eight (8) Health Promotion Playbook modules. To assist Province- and

Modules
City-wide Health Systems (P/CWHS) and their component local government units in

Promotion
implementation, the modules include ready-to-use template policies, evidence briefers,
implementation plans, capacity-building outlines, basic resource requirements, and
monitoring and evaluation plans, communication plans and prototype materials.

The COVID-19 pandemic has surfaced a host of related concerns at the local level which
may be addressed through health promotion. In acknowledgement of the role these issues
play in increasing or reducing vulnerability to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on
Filipinos’ health and its determinants, the Health Promotion Playbook modules for 2021
recommend a series of interventions that can be adapted to the local context:

1. Promoting physical activity through active transport - Cycling, walking, and

other forms of active transport are an excellent means of reducing
exposure to
COVID-19 while promoting physical activity during travel — this module guides
LGUs in establishing protected bicycle lanes and walking paths to promote the
aforementioned during and after the pandemic.
2. Mobilizing the local karinderya as partners to address undernutrition - The
continuation and success of dietary supplementation are key to addressing
undernutrition during the COVID-19 pandemic — this module mobilizes local
karinderya in preparing nutritious food for dietary supplementation beneficiaries,
allowing Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNSs) to focus on nutrition counseling and
education, providing beneficiaries with a physically, socially, and culturally close
source of dietary supplementation, and reducing food and budget waste.
3. Nudging the community toward hand hygiene - Proper handwashing is critical for
the prevention of the COVID-19 virus, but knowledge and awareness are not enough
to ensure its practice — this module introduces nudges as a low-cost, effective, and
easily scalable intervention to lead people toward the intended behavior.
4. Creating local champions to increase vaccine
coverage in the community - The
Philippines is among countries with the poorest vaccine coverage worldwide, and
this has a critical effect on acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine — this module
introduces “Bakuna Champions” trained on social marketing, partnership building,
Building 1, San Lazaro Compound, Rizal Avenue, Sta. Cruz, 1003 Manila ® Trunk Line 651-7800 local 1108, 1111, 1112, 1113
Direct Line: 711-9502; 711-9503 Fax: 743-1829 @ URL: http://www.doh.gov.ph; e-mail:
ftduque@doh.gov.ph
 and community engagement to promote pro-vaccine messages, thereby increasing
vaccine uptake.
. Promoting smoke- and vape-free communities in the new normal - In
acknowledgement of the role of tobacco as a leading cause of death, illness, and
impoverishment in the Philippines, this module localizes and streamlines the WHO’s
critical MPOWER strategy to prevent and reduce the use of tobacco and vape
products, especially among the youth and other vulnerable sectors.
. Organizing peer support groups for mental health promotion - Building
structures of support within the community is critical in addressing the increasing
burden of mental health concerns, especially for the youth, and during the
COVID-19 pandemic — this module builds those social support structures, by
organizing youth-led peer support groups to serve as an early intervention to mental
health problems among the youth.
. Formalizing the LGU team for adelescent and sexual reproductive health
services - Adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) concerns, including
adolescent pregnancy, HIV infection, and sexual abuse have only worsened with the
pandemic — to address social and legal barriers to ASRH, this module establishes
the KADA Network (Key Assistance for Developing Adolescents Network),
expanding on the concept of adolescent friendly health facilities (AFHFs), and
reorienting ASRH services to include a holistic community-based team ready to
serve adolescents.
. Re-orienting gender based violence prevention to the health sector - Violence
against women and children (VAWC) is multifactorial, with risk factors and the
individual, social, and structural levels; and has worsened in the context of the
COVID-19 pandemic — this module focuses on strengthening prevention at the
primary level by recognizing violence, encouraging reporting, engaging more
citizens and allies to become champions in preventing violence, and changing social
norms

existing DOH Health Promotion Playbooks modules are available at

http:/bit.ly/HPB_2021Playbooks. LGUs are enjoined to utilize the aforementioned playbook
modules to address identified risk factors to public health problems in the community or to
improve the design of existing health promotion programs.

By Authority of the Secretary of Health

MARIA ROSARIO $5.

VERGEIRE, MD, MPH, CESO IV
OIC-Undersecretary ¢f Health
Public Health Servicgs Team