Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

“douse Bill No.__7287.

Introduced by Representative Gabriel H. Bordado, Jr.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Nutrition plays a crucial role in building and securing a thriving economy. The
state of health and nutrition of the population directly impacts a nation's development,
the performance of its labor force, and the learning capabilities of its students.

Despite the importance of health and nutrition, mainutrition remains a prominent
problem that is inadequately addressed in the Philippines. According to a World Bank
report in 2021, there had been almost no improvements in the prevalence of
undernutrition in the Philippines for nearly thirty years. Moreover, the Philippines ranks
fifth among ten countries in the East Asia and Pacific region with the highest
prevalence of stunting and is among the ten countries in the world with the highest
number of stunted children. This alarming problem has had dire implications on our
economic development and has cost us billions of pesos in losses every year. Itis high
time to pour resources into addressing this worsening issue.

Schools are pivotal in promoting the people's right to health. They are perfect
avenues where the importance of health care and nutrition could be instilled into our
young students, teachers, and other academic personnel. Therefore, 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, needs to be
modernized and upgraded to maximize its contribution to quality basic education.

Proper investment in the Filipinos’ health and nutrition, particularly in the early
stages of education, would aid in our overall goal of nation building and economic
prosperity. In order to start working towards this end, the passage of the measure is
eamestly sought.

RIEL
3” District ‘AMARINES UR

Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
‘Quezon City, Metro Manila

INETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

*. House Bill No. _7287

Introduced by Representative Gabriel H. Bordado, Jr.

AN ACT.
PROVIDING FOR THE MODERNIZATION OF THE SCHOOL HEALTH AND
NUTRITION PROGRAM (SHNP) OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,
AUTHORIZING THE APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the “School Health and Nutrition
Moderization 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, Culture and Sports shall be modernized and upgraded to
ensure the attainment of a health status that can enhance the active leaming
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; c.) 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. The following terms shall be understood in this Act
to mean:

a. Department - means the Department of Education, Culture and Sports.

b. School Health and Nutrition Program - is 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 - the science and the art of preventing disease, prolonging life,
and promoting physical and mental health and efficiency through organized
community efforts.

4. Preventive Health Care - the systematic organization of all the personal
services necessary to prevent disease and attain the highest level of health.

e. Health and Nutrition Center - refers to the agency that takes charge of the
over-all management of the integrated School Health and Nutrition Program
(SHNP).

f, Basic Education - consists of 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 - refers to 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 - refers to 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;

4. 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
dlinics, 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 be at par with those of health


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

b. HUMAN RESOURCE 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 be implemented,

C. 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
modemization 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 program/activities shall be given
Priority consideration:

a, Recruitment of school health and nutrition personnel to attain the ratio of one
personnel to 2,000 pupils/teachers over a five 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;

c. 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 2023 to 2028

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 provision or part hereof, is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall
remain valid and subsisting.

SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders,
proclamations, and administrative regulations or parts thereof inconsistent herewith
are hereby repealed or modified accordingly

SECTION 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations. The Department, in
consultation with the Department of Health, shall formulate the implementing rules and
regulations within 60 days upon effectivity of this Act.

SECTION 12. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,