Officials from the Center for Health and Development Central Luzon (CHD-DOH3) and the Department of Education (DepEd) lauded the provincial government headed by Governor Lilia Pineda for spearheading the first Joint Health Summit for School Children held at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center yesterday.
Dr. Leonardo D. Zapanta, Pampanga DepEd superintendent, stressed the significance of this event as the health condition of school children directly affects their performance in school.
“Every pupil and student need a healthy body and mind to excel in their studies, which is why we are very grateful to our governor for leading this affair,” Zapanta noted.
The event, organized by the Provincial Health Office headed by Dr. Marcelo Jaochico, was attended by some 1000 participants including public school teachers, DepEd medicial division, municipal health officers, and rural health workers.
First among the several lectures tackled drug cases in schools and drug abuse, by Glen Guillermo, chief public information of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
Guillermo discussed the role of teachers and school officials in the enforcement of the Republic Act 9165 or the “Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act Of 2002.”
Dr. Leah Milan from the JGDC Safe Food Solution stressed the importance of food safety and proper food handling especially in public school canteens.
Another important subject in the health summit is the province’s current dengue situation wherein Pampanga recorded a higher number of patients, compared to the previous year.
According to Dr. Rhodora Cruz of the CHD-DOH3, Pampanga currently ranks third in the most number of dengue cases in the region. Records also show that most of dengue patients belong to the age brackets of 0-10 and 11-20, both of which involve school-age children and youth.
Salient points regarding the symptoms, treatment, and transmission of tuberculosis was also discussed by Geliza Receda, also from CHD-DOH3.
Meanwhile, Governor Pineda sought the cooperation of all attendees and emphasized the importance of securing the health and wellness of the future generation of Kapampangans.
