Question & AnswerQ&A (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 595)
The title of Executive Order No. 595 is the 'Health Education Reform Order of 2006' or HERO of 2006.
The primary purpose is to ensure an effective and efficient public health awareness campaign for the prevention of common diseases by integrating health education focusing on prevention into the educational system at primary, secondary, and collegiate levels.
The program covers the health curriculum of primary, secondary, and collegiate levels all over the Philippines.
The Committee on HERO consists of the Secretary of the Department of Education or alternate, Secretary of Health or alternate, Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education or alternate, Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology or alternate, and three representatives from the private sector (two from the medical profession and one from allied sectors).
The modules focus on basic preventive health care for the top causes of morbidity and mortality, shifting the curriculum from a curative to a preventive approach.
The Department of Health is responsible for verifying the scientific accuracy and completeness of the modules and certifying that the content is appropriate for understanding the disease conditions and their prevention.
The Committee on HERO determines which modules are appropriate for different elementary and high school grade levels, designs the modules accordingly, and appoints regional committees of teachers to be trained for cascading the modules.
Modules include topics on preventive, public, and community health; management and leadership; professional and community leader ethics and professionalism; and health economics, aiming to instill social responsibility and patriotism among health professionals.
Initial expenses are equally divided among member agencies from their budgets, while funding for module development, cascading, and printing materials is funded as determined by the Department of Budget and Management and later included in the General Appropriations Act.
The separability clause provides that if any section or provision is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the remaining sections or provisions not affected shall remain in full force and effect.