Policy purpose and preventive health focus
- The Executive Order directs that public health awareness for the prevention of common diseases must be made effective and efficient through the educational system.
- It recognizes that common diseases and causes of mortality and morbidity significantly affect national human and economic resources.
- It mandates that prevention through proper health and sanitation practices must be achieved through effective health education and awareness.
- It requires harnessing public and private sector partnerships to fight leading causes of mortality and morbidity.
- It emphasizes that education and awareness on prevention of leading causes of morbidity and mortality among Filipinos must be integrated into the health curriculum of primary and secondary levels.
- It requires reassessment and review of existing health curricula at primary, secondary, and collegiate levels to refocus them from curative to preventive aspects.
Scope and coverage across education levels
- Section 2 covers the education and common diseases awareness program through the health curriculum of primary, secondary and collegiate levels.
- Section 2 applies all over the country.
- Section 3 requires integration of preventive modules into the curricula of all private and public elementary schools, high schools, colleges, and universities in the Philippines.
- Section 10 authorizes joint identification of Pilot Areas for immediate implementation, giving major consideration to prevalence and poverty incidence.
Preventive health curriculum integration rules
- Section 3 requires integration of modules on basic preventive health care for the top causes of morbidity and mortality into all relevant school curricula.
- Section 3 requires refocusing existing health curricula in private and public elementary schools and high schools from curative to preventive aspects of the top causes of morbidity and mortality in the country or in the locality.
- Section 5 requires the Department of Education (DepEd), through its Curriculum Divisions, to determine the appropriate number of hours devoted to health subjects.
- Section 5 requires DepEd to emphasize the preventive aspect of top causes of mortality and morbidity.
- Section 5 requires DepEd to specify how health subject content will be integrated into the current Science and Health curricula of primary and secondary schools.
- Section 6 provides that the modules cover risk factors for the prevention and treatment of the top ten causes of mortality and morbidity in the Philippines.
Committee on HERO governance and powers
- Section 4 creates the Committee on Health Education Reform (“Committee on HERO”).
- Section 4 establishes government membership comprising:
- the Secretary of DepEd (or alternate not lower than Assistant Secretary);
- the Secretary of Health (or alternate not lower than Assistant Secretary);
- the Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) (or alternate who is one of the Commissioners of CHED);
- the Secretary of DOST (or alternate not lower than Assistant Secretary).
- Section 4 adds three (3) private sector representatives: two (2) from the medical profession (Philippine Medical Association [PMA], Philippine College of Physicians [PCP]) and one (1) from related or allied sectors, invited by the Committee upon recommendation of recognized medical groups or associations.
- Section 4 provides that the Committee shall be Co-Chaired by the Secretaries of DepEd and DOH.
- Section 4 authorizes the Committee on HERO and/or its individual members to enter Memoranda of Agreement with recognized medical associations and groups to ensure continued participation of the private sector.
- Section 4 allows participating agencies and the Committee to receive donations from third parties in the form of cash or kind, subject to pertinent laws, rules and regulations.
- Section 4 authorizes the Committee on HERO to create a Technical Working Group (TWG) composed of officers from DepEd, DOH, DOST, CHED, and TESDA plus representatives from the private sector.
- Section 4 directs the TWG to recommend an evaluation scheme with success metrics/parameters with timelines, recommend necessary modifications to the program, and report overall impact on the healthcare and educational system.
Module development, scientific verification, and level design
- Section 7 requires the DOH to check the validity and accuracy of all scientific data on which the modules are based.
- Section 7 requires the Secretary of Health to certify:
- the scientific accuracy of the modules; and
- the completeness of the content appropriate to the understanding of the disease condition and its prevention.
- Section 8 requires the Committee on HERO to determine which modules are appropriate for student appreciation of concepts for each level in elementary and high school.
- Section 8 requires the Committee on HERO to design grade and year-level modules to achieve conceptual understanding.
- Section 8 requires DepEd to appoint a Committee of teachers for every Regional Office for both elementary and high school levels.
- Section 8 requires the teacher committee to be trained in the modules and to plan, together with relevant DOH personnel, the cascade of the teaching module to all teachers.
- Section 9 requires the Committee on HERO to develop specific collegiate modules on the following topics, among others:
- (a) Preventive, Public and Community Health;
- (b) Management and Leadership concepts to emphasize health care;
- (c) Professional and Community Leader Ethics and Professionalism; and
- (d) Health Economics.
- Section 9 requires that collegiate modules instill love of country and a sense of social responsibility among health professionals in medicine, nursing, medical technology, pharmacy, and allied professions.
- Section 9 directs that CHED shall work with the private sector in implementing collegiate-level modules.
Pilot areas selection and implementation approach
- Section 10 authorizes DepEd and DOH to jointly identify Pilot Areas for immediate implementation.
- Section 10 requires major consideration of:
- the prevalence of the top ten causes of mortality and morbidity; and
- poverty incidence in the particular area.
Funding and budgeting mechanics
- Section 11 requires initial expenses of the Committee on HERO to be equally divided among the member-agencies from their respective budgets.
- Section 11 provides that development and cascading of modules, as well as printing of materials, shall be derived from sources determined by the Department of Budget and Management.
- Section 11 requires that thereafter, funding for the program shall be included in the budgets of the member agencies in the General Appropriations Act.
Repeal, separability, and continuity of effects
- Section 12 provides that all executive issuances, orders, rules, and regulations, or parts thereof, that are inconsistent with this Executive Order are repealed or modified accordingly.
- Section 13 provides that if any section or provision is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the remaining sections or provisions remain in full force and effect.