The Department of Education (DepEd) conducted a nationwide health drive across 91 public school campuses on Monday to deliver primary healthcare services to over 47,000 target beneficiaries as part of the multi-agency Handog ng Pangulo service caravan.
The initiative aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to deliver frontline social services directly to communities.
Conducted in partnership with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s (PhilHealth), the simultaneous school-based Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP) activates 91 participating public schools across 85 cities and provinces, transforming local campuses into primary healthcare hubs.
Through the Handog ng Pangulo, the initiative targets serving around 47,600 beneficiaries, including around 22,000 teachers, 18,700 learners, 6,000 parents and guardians, and 900 non-teaching personnel.
“Sa direksyon ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos, patuloy nating inilalapit ang mga batayang serbisyo ng pamahalaan sa ating mga kababayan,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said.
“Sa pamamagitan ng ating pakikipagtulungan sa PhilHealth at iba pang ahensya sa Handog ng Pangulo, sinisiguro natin na ang ating mga guro, mag-aaral, at kanilang mga pamilya ay may access sa libre at de-kalidad na pangangalagang pangkalusugan.”
DepEd also joined the Handog ng Pangulo activity at the Kalinga Sports Center alongside partner agencies, including the Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), and PhilHealth.
To streamline public access, participating school sites provided on-site registration for new PhilHealth members, issuance of official PhilHealth IDs and Member Data Records (MDR), official assignment to designated YAKAP primary care clinics, initial medical consultations and preventive health registration, and the direct distribution of essential medicines through the GAMOT program.
Timed during the nationwide wellness break for public school educators and learners, the school-based caravan allowed families to receive essential medical services without disrupting academic schedules.
“Naniniwala tayo na ang malusog na komunidad ng paaralan ang pundasyon ng mas mahusay na pagkatuto. Kung alaga ang kalusugan ng ating mga guro at mag-aaral, mas magiging produktibo at masigla ang ating mga silid-aralan,” Angara added.
Press Release: DepEd
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