Republic of the Philippines

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES RECEIVED
Quezon City , 04 JUL 2013

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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular Session

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94
House Bill No._

Introduced by Hon. Sol Aragones

EXPLANATORY NOTE

It is urgent that health consciousness be instilled among Filipinos. Needless to
stress, the school plays a vital role in making the people aware of the importance of health
care. Toward this end, government commits to “fully integrate our health care system with
the school system, with preventive health care, personal hygiene, and nutrition education
being pursued as active programs in basic education.” To make this possible, this bill seeks to
modernize and upgrade the School Health and Nutrition Program (SHNP) of the Department
of Education, which is designed to promote, protect and maintain the health and nutritional
well-being of the various sectors of elementary and secondary educational institutions, to
maximize its contribution to quality basic education.

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SOL ARAGONES
Representative, 3 District of Laguna


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS.
First Regular Session

. 1
House Bill No. 344

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Introduced by Hon. Sol Aragones

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE MODERNIZATION OF THE SCHOOL HEALTH AND
NUTRITION PROGRAM (SHNP) OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,
CULTURE AND SPORTS, AND AUTHORIZING THE APPROPRIATION OF
FUNDS THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in

Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall he known as the "School Health and

Nutrition Modernization Act."

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to
Promote, maintain and protect the health and nutritional well-being of the school population
through the delivery of preventive health care to the students, teachers and school
administrators in the elementary and high school levels and to the non-teaching personnel.
Toward this end, the School Health and Nutrition Program of the Department of Education,
shall be modernized and upgraded to ensure the attainment of a health status that can enhance

the active learning capacities of the children and for the teachers and other personnel to


function more effectively, thus, enabling the achievement of the goals of quality basic

education.

It is likewise declared the policy of the State to pursue the modernization program

under this Act through:

(A)The development of an efficient and effective health care delivery system in the

schools;

(B) The development, evaluation and application of appropriate methods and

procedures in preventive health care;

(©) The development of reforms in the management of human and material resources;

and

(D) The acquisition and upgrading of appropriate equipment and technology.

SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. -For the purposes of this Act, the term:

(A) “Department” means the Department of Education.

(B) “School Health and Nutrition Program” (SHNP) means a comprehensive
education and service package, delivered to the schools, eventually to the homes and
communities, in order to improve the health and nutritional status of the total school

population, with the elementary grades children as its priority group.

(C) “Public Health” means the science and the art of preventing disease, prolonging
life, and promoting physical and mental health and efficiency through organized

community efforts.


(D) “Preventive Health Care” means the systematic organization of all the personal

services necessary to prevent disease and attain the highest level of health.

(E) “Health and Nutrition Center” means the agency that takes charge of the overall

management of the integrated SHNP.

(F) “Basic Education” means the six years elementary and four years secondary
education. Basic education is that which brings the child to a point where he can be an

autonomous learner, one who is self-reliant and creative.

(G) “Health Education” means the teaching and counseling on healthy living,
including hygiene, nutrition, sex education, alcohol and drug abuse, smoking and

other threats to health.

(H) “Quality Education” means the appropriateness, relevance and excellence of the
education given to the individual in meeting his/her needs and aspirations and those of

society.

SECTION 4. Objectives of the SHNP. - The SHNP modernization shall be

implemented in accordance with the following objectives:

(A) To provide a comprehensive preventive health care to school children and
teachers in the elementary and secondary levels of education and to the non-teaching

personnel of the Department;

(B) To inculcate health and nutrition values and behavior and encourage healthy

lifestyles among the school populace;


(C) To encourage parents to provide their children with proper health care and to

perform effective parenting to prevent drug abuse;

(D) To develop effective linkages between the school and community for better

school health;

(E) To strengthen the Health and Nutrition Center in the management of the Program;

and

(F) To establish and maintain adequate health and sanitation facilities like school

clinics, canteens, water supply, sanitary toilets and garbage disposal in the schools.

SECTION 5. Components of the SHNP Modernization. - The modernization program

shall consist of the following components:

(A) Organizational Development. - To carry out effectively their functions, it is
necessary to restructure, expand and upgrade the staff and personnel of the Regional
Health and Nutrition Units and the Division Health and Nutrition Sections including
the creation of nurse supervisor positions to oversee nursing care of the school
children: Provided, That in the upgrading of plantilla positions, the compensation and
benefits shall he at par with those of health and nutrition personnel in other

government agencies in accordance with existing laws, rules and regulations.

(B) Human Resources Development. - This component pertains to programs and
educational activities of health and nutrition personnel to enhance their skills and
competencies through workshops, conferences and in-service trainings relative to the

delivery of health care, and on mobilization as well as administrative responsibilities.

A continuing health resource development program shall he implemented.


(©) Infrastructure Development. - This component consists of the construction of
physical plants and facilities such as sanitary toilets, facilities for washing hands,
water system, school clinics and feeding centers/canteens in the public elementary
schools to ensure health and nutritional needs in public elementary schools including

suitable sites for the Alay-Tanim Tree Planting program.

(D) Information and Systems Organization. - This component consists of the
acquisition and development of an extensive computer network for health and
nutrition care; the upgrading of methods and procedures in preventive health care;

monitoring and evaluation; and research in support of the total program.

The Department Secretary in coordination with the Secretary of Health shall
formulate guidelines to implement this section in accordance with the objectives of

the modernization program enumerated in the preceding section.

SECTION 6. Priority Programs for SHNP Modernization. - For a more effective
implementation of the objectives of the SHNP and consistent with the mandate of the
Constitution relative to health care, the following programs/activities shall be given priority

consideration:

(A) Recruitment of school health and nutrition personnel to attain the ratio of one (1)

personnel to two thousand (2,000) pupils/teachers over a five (5) year period;

(B) Upgrading of the salary of health and nutrition personnel to be at par with
counterparts in other Departments and full implementation of the benefits of the

Magna Carta for Public Health Workers;

(©) Provision of equipment, medical and dental supplies and medicines;


(D) Health examination of all Grade 1 entrants and provision of supplementary
feeding (breakfast and/or milk) to Grade 1 pupils and nutritionally deprived school

children;

SECTION 7. Period of Implementation. - The Modernization Program under this Act

shall be implemented over a period of five (5) years from the year this Act is promulgated.

SECTION 8. Appropriations. - To effectively carry out the objectives of this Act, the
initial amount of Two Hundred Million Pesos (P200,000,000.00) is hereby authorized to be
appropriated out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and from
the funds of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority. Thereafter, such funds as are

necessary shall be included in the Annual General Appropriations Act.

SECTION 9. Separability Clause, - If any part hereof, is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the provision not otherwise affected shall remain valid and

subsisting.

SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance,
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or
inconsistent with, the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended

accordingly.

SECTION 11. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,