Pres. Duterte encourages DepEd to increase health literacy among Filipinos

The government is looking to increase health literacy to Filipinos with regards on better understanding on health, proper prevention and how to respond accordingly to pandemic and disasters.

Photo credit: headtopics.com

After the doctor of President Roa Duterte warned him that his Barrett’s esophagus was nearing stage one cancer, he directed Education Secretary Leonor Briones to ensure the people would at least have a basic level of health literacy skills to know how to effectively deal with health situations.

On Tuesday, President Duterte said in a message to Congress on the proposed 2021 submitted national budget,

Next year, health literacy will be an important item in our schools’ curricula. For this purpose, I have given specific instructions to Education Secretary Leonor ‘Liling’ Briones to capacitate our educators/teachers to have sufficient and reasonable information to help our citizens equip themselves with at least a basic level of health literacy skills to better respond to a pandemic or disaster, in particular the prevention of infection.

Having health literacy will help empower communities on health promotion and prevention programs. Through the program, Filipinos will know their role and do their part in avoiding the creation of secondary transmission chains, President Duterte added.

The President also prompted private schools to help the government improve health literacy among Filipinos. Public-private educational partnerships could grow in importance during these times of crisis.

According to President Duterte, the education sector will get the largest portion of the budget with an allocation of P754.4 billion under the proposed P4.506-trillion national budget for 2021. An amount of P606.6 billon will go to DepEd, followed by CHED with P50.9 billion, and TESDA with P13.7 billion.

The government’s priorities for the education sector have been reassessed to respond to the adoption of flexible and blended learning. It intend to pursue the P15.2 billion expansion of multi-modal learning and teaching options as well as DepEd’s P9-billion computerization program.

In the year 2021, education department aims to print 944.4 million learning modules as well as provide transistor radios for learners who have limited access or have no access to technology. And at least 37,221 multimedia packages, that include a laptop and a television set, will be distributed in public schools across the country, according to the President.

Under the basic education program for 2021, DepEd will also set aside P24.1 billion to build 51,174 new classrooms and buy 38,917 sets of school seats and more.