Latest news with #TenementElementarySchool
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Health
- GMA Network
DepEd, DOH aligns curriculum to address HIV spike among Filipino youth
With enrollees reaching 7,222 students at 7 a.m. on Monday, June 16, 2025, the first day of School Year 2025-2026, Tenement Elementary School in Taguig City had to use temporary partitions to divide classrooms for pupils. SHERYLIN UNTALAN/GMA Integrated News The Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Health (DOH) have collaborated to prepare an aligned curriculum for Filipino learners with the goal of addressing the rise in HIV cases and other critical issues affecting the youth. "Nag-align kami ng curriculum dahil ang findings namin, mas bata ang tinatamaan ng HIV (We aligned the curriculum because our findings show HIV infections among younger Filipinos)," said Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa during a joint field assessment with Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Wednesday. Filipinos aged 15 to 24 now account for 30% of the 57 new daily infections in the country, DOH data from January to March 2025 showed. At the basic education level, this age group overlaps with junior high school learners in Grade 10 and senior high school students from Grades 11 to 12. The cooperation of the two agencies is in line with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s directive to strengthen inter-agency efforts for student health, particularly as classes reopen for School Year 2025–2026. Read: Cover Story | Overcoming HIV: Hope Rises Between Two Red Lines "Pinapriority talaga ni Pangulo ang edukasyon... instruction niya na magsama-sama ang mga ahensya para yung pagbukas ng klase, kalusugan ng ating mga anak at pati na rin ng ating mga guro ay inaalagaan po ng gobyerno," Angara said. (The President prioritizes education... his instruction is that agencies work together for the opening of classes.) Nutrition, pregnancy, road safety Aside from HIV education, the curriculum now also integrates discussions key health issues on mental health, unplanned pregnancy, road safety, and nutrition. Herbosa noted that these health concerns may also be contributing to the broader learning crisis observed in the country. "Some of it is the cause of learning crisis," he said, adding that, "Some of it is stunting because of undernutrition… Pumapasok, walang pagkain (They come to school without food)." In response, the DepEd has expanded its school feeding program to provide meals not just for undernourished students, but to all young learners at the entry level. The DepEd and DOH are also monitoring and responding to potential health outbreaks in schools, especially with the onset of the rainy season. "[Kung] May clustering of cases sa isang school, pinupuntahan ng aming regional office kaagad 'yan (Our regional offices immediately go to areas where there are clustering of health cases)," Herbosa added. As cases of HIV and other diseases continue to climb, both agencies reaffirmed their commitment to protecting students not just academically, but physically and emotionally as well. "Tutukan talaga 'yung kalusugan ng mga bata (Focus will be on children's health)," Angara said. Earlier this moth, the DOH reported that the number of young Filipinos infected with human immunodeficiency virus has increased by 500% prompting the agency to request for the declaration of a national public health emergency for HIV. Herbosa had expressed concern that if the trend is not be stopped, the number of people in the Philippines living with HIV could reach 400,000. Based on available figures as of June 2025, there are 148,831 cases of HIV in the Philippines. The DOH earlier said that in the first three months of the 2025, a total of 5,101 HIV cases were confirmed. This was higher than the 3,409 confirmed cases the same period in 2024. — VDV, GMA Integrated News HIV, AIDS, HIV infections, DOH, DepEd, school opening
GMA Network
4 days ago
- General
- GMA Network
DepEd eyes using Taguig's scholarship program for other LGUs
Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara said that Taguig City's learners' certificate scholarship could be used as a model initiative for other local government units amid their congestion problems. The Taguig Learners' Certificate (TLC) Scholarship gives graduating public elementary school students in the city the opportunity to pursue high school in partner private schools within the locality to decongest public schools and provide a more conducive learning environment. 'Maganda sa Taguig kasi may TLC Scholarship sila. Kapag masikip na 'yung public school, binibigyan ng voucher ang bata para makapili ng private school na malapit,' Angara said in a press release on Tuesday. (It's good here in Taguig because they have the TLC Scholarship. If the public school is already crowded, they will give a voucher to students so that they can choose which private school they can transfer to.) 'Pinag-aaralan na rin namin ito ngayon para sa ibang lugar tulad ng Cavite at Laguna kung saan masisikip na ang mga pampublikong paaralan,' he added. (We are studying if this can be applicable in other areas such as Cavite and Laguna, where some public schools are crowded.) Under the program, the city government shoulders both tuition and miscellaneous fees and a P10,000 allowance for other school-related needs. So far, the program has 61 partner private high schools across the city. Growing numbers Angara visited the Tenement Elementary School during the opening of classes on Monday for School Year 2025-2026. With the enrollment reaching over 7,000 students by 7 a.m. on the first day of School Year 2025–2026, Tenement Elementary School in the city was forced to split some of its classrooms using temporary partitions to accommodate the growing number of learners. According to Dr. Maria Fernandez, School Principal IV of Tenement Elementary School, the school had already recorded 7,222 students from Grade 1 to Grade 6 by early morning, and the number is expected to increase. Meanwhile, Angara also commended Taguig's collaborative approach to education, highlighting the support of local officials and private sector partners. 'Here in Taguig, very helpful ang local government, ang legislators, even private partners. Sana ganoon sa lahat ng dako ng bansa (I wish this could be applicable in other parts of the country.),' he said. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
