The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday said that over 47,000 students, school staff, and parents will have access to healthcare as it transforms public schools into primary healthcare hubs.
“We continue to bring essential government services closer to our fellow Filipinos,” Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara said in Filipino in a news release.
“Through our partnership with PhilHealth and other agencies under Handog ng Pangulo, we are ensuring that our teachers, learners, and their families have access to free and quality healthcare,” he added.
The simultaneous school-based Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP), in partnership with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), aims to benefit 22,000 teachers, 18,700 learners, 6,000 parents and guardians, and 900 non-teaching personnel.
91 public schools across 85 cities have been transformed into medical hubs with primary care clinics that provide initial medical consultations, preventive health registration, and essential medicines.
In addition to YAKAP, DepEd also joined the Handog ng Pangulo activity at the Kalinga Sports Center alongside the Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), and PhilHealth.
Through this initiative, the public will also have access to on-site registration for new PhilHealth members and receive their official PhilHealth IDs and Member Data Records (MDR).
DepEd noted that the school-based caravan was held during the nationwide wellness break for public school educators and learners, allowing families to access essential medical services without disrupting academic schedules.
“We believe that a healthy school community is the foundation for better learning,” Mr. Angara said. “When the health of our teachers and learners is taken care of, our classrooms become more productive and vibrant.”
The nationwide wellness break, scheduled for Sept. 14 and 15, 2026, is part of the newly implemented three-term school calendar in basic education. The agency said the two-day break seeks to help teachers “rest, recuperate, and attend to their personal well-being before the start of the term.” — Almira Louise S. Martinez