BOAC, Marinduque (PIA) -- The Department of Education (DepEd) along with the Department of Health (DOH) continuously promotes the importance of health awareness among the learners in Marinduque, coinciding the National Dental Health Month with the theme 'Celebrating Decade of Healthy Smiles.'
In compliance with Proclamation No. 559, declaring the month of February of every year as National Dental Health Month, all public elementary and secondary schools in the province have effectively implemented a variety of dental programs aimed at promoting oral hygiene and health awareness across the country.
In a Facebook post, Department of Education expressed its concern on issues pertaining to students' health saying, “Isa ang dental health issues sa mga isinasantabing problema ng mga tao, lalo na ang mga mag-aaral, sa kawalan ng access sa murang dentista at clinic, ngunit isa rin ito sa may pinakamalaking impact sa pag-aaral ng mga bata.
[Dental issue is one of the problems being ignored by the people, especially of the learners, due to limited access to affordable dentist and clinic, however it is also one of the factors that has dominant impact on the students’ learning.]
Argao, Makapuyat, Tambangan and Matuyatuya National High Schools were among the secondary schools that participated in the activity, along with a number of elementary schools, including Maniwaya, Sibuyao, Argao, Tapuyan and Buyabod Elementary Schools.
The activities conducted include medical and dental check-up, simultaneous toothbrush drill or dry brushing activities, distribution of toothbrush and toothpaste, tooth extraction to learners, oral health lecture, and monitoring of school canteen and school clinic.
The educational institutions also provided health and nursing services as part of the celebration, including health lecture, monitoring of school-based feeding rogram (SBFP), physical assessment, rapid room inspection, assessment and treatment day, information dissemination drive on chickenpox, awareness on the prevention measures against dengue, measles and Covid virus, health lecture covering adolescence and prevention of teenage pregnancy, as well as poster making contest. (RAMJR/CDSN/PIA Mimaropa – Marinduque)
