Public Health Awareness Campaign for Prevention of Common Diseases Through the Educational System

December 27, 2006

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 595

ENSURING EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT PUBLIC HEALTH AWARENESS CAMPAIGN FOR PREVENTION OF COMMON DISEASES THROUGH THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

WHEREAS, the State recognizes that the most common diseases and causes of mortality and morbidity are taking a great toll on the country's human and economic resources; cHAaEC

WHEREAS, the causes of the highest rate of mortality or morbidity in the country may be prevented by proper health and sanitation practices brought about by effective health education and awareness;

WHEREAS, public and private sector partnerships need to be harnessed for the fight against these leading causes of mortality and morbidity;

WHEREAS, the education and awareness on the prevention of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality among Filipinos are best achieved through integration with the health curriculum of primary and secondary levels;

WHEREAS, there is a need to reassess and review existing health curriculum of primary, secondary and collegiate levels in order to refocus the same from curative to preventive aspects of diseases and other top causes of mortality and morbidity in the country.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. Title. — This Executive Order shall be known as the "Health Education Reform Order of 2006" (HERO of 2006).

SECTION 2. Scope and Coverage. — The education and common diseases awareness program shall cover the health curriculum of primary, secondary and collegiate levels all over the country.

SECTION 3. Preventive Health Education Curriculum. — Modules on basic preventive health care for the top causes of morbidity and mortality shall be integrated into the curricula of all private and public elementary schools, high schools, colleges and universities in the Philippines. In this regard, existing health curricula of all private and public elementary schools and high schools shall be refocused from curative to preventive aspect of the top causes of morbidity and mortality in the country or in the locality, as the case may be.

SECTION 4. Committee on HERO. — There is hereby created a Committee on Health Education Reform consisting of:

1. The Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd) or his alternate whose rank shall not be lower than Assistant Secretary;

2. The Secretary of Health or his alternate whose rank shall not be lower than Assistant Secretary;

3. The Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) or his alternate who shall be one of the Commissioners of the CHED;

4. The Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) or his alternate whose rank shall not be lower than Assistant Secretary;

5. Three (3) representatives from the private sector, i.e., two (2) from the medical profession (i.e. Philippine Medical Association [PMA], Philippine College of Physicians [PCP]) and one (1) from related or allied sectors, who shall be invited by the Committee upon the recommendation of recognized medical groups or associations — to formulate and prepare modules on basic preventive health care for the top causes of morbidity and mortality and to adopt evaluation monitoring scheme for the said modules. The Committee shall be Co-Chaired by the Secretaries of the DepEd and DOH.

For this purpose, the Committee on HERO or its individual members may enter into Memoranda of Agreement with recognized medical associations and groups to ensure continued participation of the private sector in this important endeavor. Further, the participating agencies, as well as the Committee on HERO, may receive donations from third parties in form of cash or kind for the furtherance of the objectives of this Executive Order, subject to pertinent laws, rules and regulations.

The Committee on HERO may create a Technical Working Group (TWG) consisting of officers from the DepEd, DOH, DOST, CHED and the TESDA from the government sector, as well as representatives from the private sector, which shall recommend the evaluation scheme with success metrics/parameters with timelines, necessary modifications to the program, and report the overall impact of the program on the healthcare and educational system.

SECTION 5. Time Devoted to Health Subject and Integration. — The DepEd, through its Curriculum Divisions, shall determine the appropriate number of hours to be devoted to health subjects with emphasis on the preventive aspect of top causes of mortality and morbidity and how to integrate the same into the current Science and Health curricula of primary and secondary schools.

SECTION 6. Initial List of Modules Coverage. — Modules will cover risk factors for the prevention and treatment of the top ten causes of mortality and morbidity in the Philippines.

SECTION 7. Verification of Scientific Data. — The DOH shall check the validity and accuracy of all scientific data on which the modules are based. The Secretary of Health shall certify the scientific accuracy of the modules as well as the completeness of the content appropriate to the understanding of the disease condition and its prevention.

SECTION 8. Designation of Modules for Education Level. — It shall be the responsibility of the Committee on HERO to determine the modules appropriate for student appreciation of the concepts for each level in elementary and high school and design of the grade and year-level modules to achieve the same.

The DepEd shall appoint a Committee of teachers in both elementary and high school levels for every Regional Office who shall be trained in the modules and who will in turn plan, together with relevant DOH personnel, the cascade of the teaching module to all teachers.

SECTION 9. Modules for Collegiate and Postgraduate Healthcare Professionals. — Specific modules on the following topics, among others, for the use of collegiate levels shall be developed by the Committee on HERO: (a) Preventive, Public and Community Health; (b) Management and Leadership concepts to emphasize health care; (c) Professional and Community Leader Ethics and Professionalism; and (d) Health Economics. The modules to be created shall instill love of country and a sense of social responsibility among the health professionals in the fields of medicine, nursing, medical technology, pharmacy and allied professions.

The CHED shall work with the private sector in the implementation of these modules.

SECTION 10. Pilot Areas. — The DepEd and DOH may jointly identify Pilot Areas for the immediate implementation of this EO, giving major consideration on the prevalence of the top ten causes of mortality and morbidity, as well as the poverty incidence, in the particular area. HTcDEa

SECTION 11. Funding. — Initial expenses of the Committee on HERO shall be equally divided among the member-agencies from their respective budgets. However, the funding for the development of and cascading of modules, as well as printing of materials, shall be derived from such sources as may be determined by the Department of Budget and Management. Thereafter, the same shall be included in the budgets of the member agencies in the General Appropriations Act.

SECTION 12. Repealing Clause. - All executive issuances, orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the provision of this Executive Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 13. Separability Clause. — If any section or provision of this executive order shall be declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provision not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 14. Effectivity. — This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the city of Manila, this 27th day of December in the Year of our Lord, Two Thousand and Six.