DAVAO CITY—The Department of Education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DepEd-ARMM) now hopes to bring the handwashing habit among children to their homes, where the crucial battle against common disease often happens.
Dr. John Magno, DepEd-ARMM secretary, has directed all school authorities in the region to make handwashing with soap a regular activity among the pupils.
“Handwashing with soap is a do-it-yourself vaccine that can prevent diseases and save lives,” he said.
The global handwashing day is undertaken every October to highlight the importance of handwashing with soap “as an effective and affordable means to prevent diseases.”
While it is being observed every mid-October, the DepEd-ARMM has directed all schools “to do it on a weekday so that teachers, students and parents could join the celebration.”
“We often take for granted the importance of handwashing,” said Magno, and emphasized to do it with soap “before eating and after using the toilet.”
He said schools must ensure this would “become part of schoolchildren’s healthy habits not only in schools, but also at home.”
The DepEd-ARMM was undertaking the regular handwashing project in schools with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, or the GIZ, which, in turn, is the implementer of the school health component of the Australian government-funded Basic Education Assistance for Muslim Mindanao. The latter project is an education program that aims to bring down poverty and promote peace in the region.
The health component of the BEAM-ARMM has installed 1,000 group handwashing facilities in the public schools.
The DepEd-ARMM is still completing the 1,000 group handwashing facilities with the help of the region’s Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and GIZ. The department also committed to produce 1,000 more group handwashing facilities this year.
Magno said the group handwashing facilities was already being accessed by more than 200,000 schoolchildren in ARMM.
The handwashing habit is part of the water, sanitation and hygiene (Wash) program in the ARMM to address the most neglected necessity in the region, and which has been the main cause of morbidity among residents in the region.
Magno said the DepEd-ARMM could easily monitor the implementation of Wash in schools using the Open Data Kit introduced with assistance from GIZ this year.
He said the ODK “is a free and open-source monitoring tool that can be installed on smartphones and tablets. It collects data on access to water, sanitation, cleaning and maintenace of sanitation, and group washing facilities, among others.”
“Providing quality education is not only enhancing the skills of teachers or building new classroom buildings. It is also keeping our schoolchildren healthy so they could participate and learn well in school,” he said.