Implementing Rules for School Sanitation

Scope, coverage, and exempt schools

These implementing rules apply to all public and private schools.
Coverage includes sectarian and non-sectarian schools, seminaries or theological schools, review centers, graduate schools, special schools, and schools for person with disabilities.
Coverage includes foreign schools, technical/vocational schools, special training or trade schools, training centers, day care or child care centers, nursery and kindergarten schools, and children’s institution.
Exemptions include Sunday schools, dancing and music schools, physical fitness and slimmer schools, massage schools, embalming schools, martial arts and yoga schools, swimming schools and scuba-diving schools, and other institutions/facilities covered within the scope of other chapters of the Code on Sanitation of the Philippines (P.D. 856).

Defined terms used throughout

“Children’s institution” means a place, other than a boarding home, orphanage or children’s hospital, where children under twelve (12) years of age are received for day/night care and given tutorship.
“Department” means the Department of Health.
“Day care center” means a school taking care of children three (3) to five (5) years old when their parents/guardians are out.
“Egress” means an arrangement of facilities to assure a safe means of exit from the building.
“Emotional environment” means factors affecting the emotional health of students and faculty, non-teaching personnel, and other support staff.
“Establishment” means a collective term construed to include all schools mentioned within Section 1.
“Health certificate” means a written certification using the prescribed form issued by the city or municipal health officer after passing required physical and medical examinations and immunizations.
“Sanitary permit” means written certification by the city or municipal health officer (or, in his absence, the chief/head of the sanitation division/section/unit) attesting compliance after evaluation/inspection under Presidential Decree Nos. 522 and 856 and local ordinances.
“Safety” means the condition of being free from danger and hazard that may cause accident or disease.
“Vermin abatement program” means a series of preventive and control procedures and activities for vermin control.
“Local health authority” means the governor for the provincial level, and the mayor for a city or municipality.
“Local health officer” means the provincial, city or municipal health officer.
“Secretary” means the Secretary of Health.

Sanitary permits and recordkeeping

No person or entity may operate an establishment covered by Section 1 without a sanitary permit issued by the local health officer.
Any extension, additional construction, or alteration requires a new sanitary permit before operation.
Applications for sanitary permit issuance or renewal must be filed with the city/municipal health office having jurisdiction.
A sanitary permit is issued only upon compliance with at least a satisfactory rating using sanitary inspection of public place establishment form (EHS Form No. 103-B).
Fees are paid upon application, renewal, and noting of the permit; the fee amount is set through local ordinance.
Upon any change in ownership, the new owner must apply within practical time for noting of the change in records and must secure a certificate, paying the corresponding noting fee.
The permit change noting must be completed within 14 working days after any change in ownership.
The sanitary permit is valid from the day of issuance until the last day of December of the same year, and must be renewed at the beginning of every year thereafter.
The local health authority may suspend or revoke the sanitary permit upon recommendation of the local health officer for violation of any sanitary rules and regulations.
The sanitary permit must be posted in a conspicuous part of the establishment and must be available for inspection by health and other regulatory personnel.
Each city or municipality must keep a record of establishments issued sanitary permits and their renewals.
The record must show: (1) the holder/operator’s name and address; (2) location; (3) nature/kind of business; (4) date first issued and renewal dates; (5) every change of ownership; (6) sanitary conditions under which permit was issued or renewed; and (7) revocation of the sanitary permit.
The record must be available for inspection at all reasonable times by any authorized officer of the Department of Health or the local government unit.

Minimum site, structural, and safety standards

School site selection must promote physical and emotional environment through minimum standards in Section 4, Section 5, and Section 7.
A site clearance from the regional health office having jurisdiction must be secured before any construction is made for school purposes.
Before construction, the owner/operator/administrator must submit the location plan to the regional health office for site clearance.
The school site must not be located on a steep hill or slope and must be positioned to receive the maximum amount of sunlight.
The school site must be large and suitable to accommodate building expansion, recreational area, and other facilities.
The school site must not be adjacent to railways, broken by highways, nor near factories or other properties likely to cause unnecessary noises, odors, dust, soot, gases, or other disturbances interfering with school activities.
The site must be accessible to the community it intends to serve, must have accessible water supply, and must be easily drained.
Noise levels at the school site must not exceed 70 decibels.
Acceptable noise levels by room type are set as follows:
- Classrooms: 35 to 40 decibels
- Hearing Test Rooms: Less than 40 decibels
- Music Rooms: Less than 40 decibels
- Health Rooms: Less than 45 decibels
- Cafeterias/Canteen: 50 to 55 decibels
- School Sites (outdoor noise level): Less than 70 decibels
The school site must be remote from pollution sources such as manufacturing plants, refineries, oil burning dumps, sanitary landfill operations, polluted streams, sources of smoke/fumes/objectionable odors, and smoke-belching vehicles including poultries/piggeries.
Distance limits from property line to public places are mandated:
- 50 meters from cemeteries and memorial parks or other places of interment
- 200 meters from bars, cocktail lounges, karaoke and sing-along joints, abattoirs, markets, moviehouses, billiard and pool halls, bowling alleys, video machines, amusement and recreational places and the like
- 1000 meters from jails, night clubs, cabarets, disco houses, massage clinics and sauna baths, motels, booking outlets of racetracks and lotto, cockpits, and other places of vice
Orientation and construction must maximize natural light in classrooms and provide adequate supplementary artificial lighting along corridors and stairways.
School buildings must not be designed so that any portion is used for private residences or other purposes that interfere with proper school functioning.
Healthful air must be ensured through effective ventilation (natural and/or mechanical).
Schools must provide adequate protection against fire and other life and health hazards, provide satisfactory acoustics, and be constructed in conformity with the National Building Code.
Sanitary facilities must be properly designed and installed, and school buildings/premises must be aesthetically designed.
Classrooms and facilities must be ample to prevent overcrowding.
Floors must be smooth, easily cleaned, in good condition, and constructed of concrete or other impervious wear-resistant materials; toilet-room floors must be of impervious materials.
Walls and ceilings must be smooth, tight, washable, light-colored with specified reflection factors, and have a flat non-glare producing finish.
Ceiling reflection must have at least 80% reflection factor; upper walls adjacent areas must have at least 50%, and lower walls up to baseboard line must have a reflection factor between 25% and 40%.
Ventilation allotment requires each pupil/student at least 1.00 square meter of floor area and at least 3 cubic meters of airspace; laboratory/manual work requires at least twice the floor area and twice the air space.
Window/opening standards include:
- openings area must be not less than 1/5 of floor space
- windows and openings must have aggregate opening area not less than 50% of gross floor area
- sill about 1 meter from the floor; head at least 20 cm. below the ceiling
For mechanical ventilation:
- air-conditioning units must be 1.50 HP for every 50 cu. m. room volume
- exhaust fans/blowers must be 25 cm. diameter per 35 cu. m. of room volume
Minimum illuminations are fixed by room type in Table 3 (foot-candles and lux).
Classroom and room size standards include:
- minimum room dimension 7 meters by 9 meters to accommodate a maximum of 50 students or pupils
- if windows are on one wall, the perpendicular width must not exceed twice the height of windows from the floor
- if windows are on parallel walls, the width between these walls must not exceed 4 times the window height
- wall height must not be less than 3 meters for non-air conditioned rooms
- mezzanine offices/toilets/storerooms may be lower but not lower than 2.50 meters, and room-volume computations disregard heights above 4 meters
Seat arrangement and classroom equipment rules include left-lighting: light must fall on the pupil/student’s left shoulder, pupils must not face the light, and desks must be separated from side/back walls by at least 75 cm and from blackboards/whiteboards by at least 2 meters.
An aisle of 75 cm must be maintained in the middle between right and left seats, and back seats must be within 9 meters from boards.
Playground requirements require space for at least 40 students per session, flat terrain, safe equipment, proper drainage, safe pathways of suitable materials, and adequate parking; a playground with hubber ground is required for schools with cemented ground.
Safety rules require stairways on each side of 2-or-more-storey buildings at least 1.8 meters wide, well lighted, with at least one handrail running full length; corridors must be at least 1.8 meters wide, well lighted/ventilated, and clear of obstructions.
Where windows are barred, sufficient egress must be provided and kept open while class is in session.
Exit doors must have panic locks, passageways must be free of obstruction, and all doors/gates must open towards the outside.
Fire precautions require fire escapes for 2-or-more-storey buildings, cleared paths, and fire drills and earthquake drills at least once a month.
Egress capacity requires two (2) doors each at least 1 meter wide and 2 meters high; if only one door exists, it must be at least 2 meters wide.
Accumulation of rubbish/refuse/ashes must not be allowed; removal must be done daily.
Combustible materials rules require storage in metal containers with tight lids (mops/rags/combustibles not stored under stairways or in congested places).
Electrical wiring must be regularly checked; damaged wiring/defective switches/light fixtures must be repaired or replaced immediately.
Schools must provide an effective means of putting out fire; a fire extinguisher is desirable, and if unavailable, a fire blanket and bucket of sand may be used, with extinguisher checked frequently.
Matches must be kept in glass jars or metal containers and away from children.
Gas appliances must be vented to the outside or suitable stack; horizontal pipe sections and abrupt turns must be avoided; flexible gas hose must not be used; every gas-type appliance must be tested for leaks.
Laboratory rooms for chemistry must have sufficient hose/devices for exhaust/exit of irritating or poisonous gases.

Sanitation facilities: toilets, water, waste, vermin

Toilet facilities must be provided in adequate and sanitary form for male and female, easily accessible, properly lighted and ventilated.
Basement toilets are avoided due to lack of sunlight and difficulty of ventilation/sewer connections.
Toilet facilities must be provided on all floors of the building.
All toilets must have good ventilation through windows or exhaust fans.
Odor absorbent materials such as saw dust and activated carbon must be installed in toilet rooms, located out of reach of children.
Toilet room walls must be painted/finished in light color.
In pre-schools, toilets must be located within or adjacent to playroom/classroom.
In pre-schools and elementary schools, low toilet seats must be provided with height of 35 cms.
Toilets must be accessible to persons with disability.
Toilet space and fixture requirements include:
- Minimum toilet room space (Table 4): Toilet 1.50 square meters/unit; Lavatories 1.10 square meters/unit; Urinals 1.10 square meters/unit
- Minimum toilet ceiling height: 2.50 meters
- Lighting: not less than 10 foot-candles (107.60 lux)
- Natural ventilation: window space at least 25% of toilet room floor area
- Mechanical ventilation: exhaust fan
Employee toilet/locker rooms must be separate for each sex and must follow fixture unit counts by employee numbers per shift in Table 5.
Pupil/student toilets must be separate for each sex, with male and female fixture counts in Tables 6 and 7, including added fixture increments (for example, each additional 100 males requires one toilet bowl, one urinal, and one lavatory; each additional 50 females requires one toilet bowl; each additional 100 females requires one lavatory).
For schools with gymnasium, showers must be provided at a ratio of 1:15 pupils/students per session.
Lavatories for hand washing must be installed inside toilet rooms and provided with water and soap; additional lavatories may be installed subject to local health officer requirements.
Water and soap must be available at all times; paper towels are preferred, common towels are not permitted.
Schools without piped water systems must provide two (2) large pitchers or pots, or bucket and dipper and maintain minimum 100 liters of water for every 50 pupils/students.
The school must provide facilities for brushing of teeth after each meal.
Water supply must be adequate and potable from public or private systems, meeting the standards under Chapter II “Water Supply” of P.D. 856 and the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water.
Water sources must have a certificate of portability based on water analysis conducted by a DOH accredited laboratory.
A minimum water quantity of 40 liters per capita per day must be maintained.
School authorities must submit water samples for examination by a DOH accredited water laboratory and must monitor the water supply system frequently.
Running water under adequate pressure must be provided in areas where food is prepared/processed/handled and where equipment/utensils are washed.
Drinking fountains or equivalent drinking facilities must be provided at a ratio of 1:100 pupils/students per session.
Drinking water not supplied through a piped system must be handled/transported/dispensed in a sanitary manner and may be stored in a tank/reservoir/container approved by the local health officer.
Bottled and packaged potable drinking water must be handled/stored/protected from contamination; it must come from an approved source under DOH Administrative Order No. 18-A, s. 1993 and must be dispensed from the original container filled by the supplier; it is prohibited to serve bottled water already poured in drinking glasses.
Water for steam processes contacting food/food-contact surfaces must contain no materials/additives other than those specified by the Department of Health.
Ice must come from ice plants with sanitary permit or from water meeting Philippine drinking water standards; ice making machines must be installed/operated/maintained to prevent contamination.
Ice must be handled/transported/stored/dispensed to protect against contamination; during deliveries it must not be placed in the ground or on filthy surfaces; ice must be dispensed in measured quantities from an approved ice maker dispensing unit; adequate storage/dispensing utensils must be provided and used properly.
Handles/chains and other contaminating items must not contact ice.
Food served within the school compound must comply with Chapter III “Food Establishments” of P.D. 856 and its implementing rules and regulations.
Sewage disposal and drainage require: sewage connection to public sewerage where available, or to imhoff/septic tank or other wastewater treatment facilities and subsurface absorption field; storm water discharge to storm sewer system where it exists; and grease traps for schools with restaurants/food outlets, consistent with Chapter XVII on sewage collection/disposal and related provisions under P.D. 856.
Solid waste management requires: each room to have at least two (2) refuse receptacles/containers with swing cover and impervious material—one for biodegradable and one for non-biodegradable wastes.
Refuse containers must have tight fitting lids/covers, be vermin-proof, and be easily cleaned, with black plastic trash bags for non-biodegradable and green plastic trash bags for biodegradable materials; refuse collection must be done daily by school personnel.
Public areas (lobby, elevator doors, stair floor landing) must have refuse receptacles.
Putrescible animal and vegetable wastes must be collected/stored in watertight containers with tight-fitting lids, removed as frequently as necessary, and disposed in an approved manner.
Accumulation of refuse that becomes harborage/breeding places of vermin is prohibited; segregation, storage, collection, transport, and disposal must follow Chapter XVIII “Refuse Disposal” of P.D. 856 and its implementing rules and regulations.
Vermin control requires the owner/operator/administrator to maintain a vermin abatement program in buildings and premises.
School rooms, toilet rooms, and openings to outdoor spaces must be effectively screened unless air-conditioned.
Flower vases and containers accumulating water must be emptied everyday.
Below-grade openings and exterior wall openings/fountains/ground/first floor/roof openings must be rat-proofed; in heavy rat infestation, wooden exterior doors must be covered with cuff and chain sheet metal and equipped with an automatic closing device.
The school site must be established away from potential insect/rodent breeding sources such as open dumps, barnyards, or manufacturing establishments where organic materials are processed.
Growth of bushes, weeds, and grasses must be controlled to prevent harborage of ticks, bugs, and other noxious insects.
Deratting/disinfestation/disinfecting operations must be handled by accredited urban pest control applicators under supervision of the local health office.
Vermin abatement must follow Chapter XVI “Vermin Control” of P.D. 856 and its implementing rules and regulations.
Housekeeping requires the school administrator to assign a custodial worker for housekeeping activities under the administrator’s supervision, with suitable training/experience.
Daily housekeeping includes maintenance/cleaning of pathways/grounds, floors, carpets, lavatories, toilets, showers, mirrors, lockers, furniture, counters, rails, chalk and marker pen rails, boards, desks, chairs, and daily (or more frequent as needed) collection and disposal of refuse/solid waste.
Weekly housekeeping includes dusting walls, cleaning high places, washing floors and baseboards, and cleaning carpets by vacuum at least weekly (or more frequently as necessary).
Monthly housekeeping includes cleaning light fixtures, lawn mowing/grass-cutting, removing marks from walls, and washing glass windows at least monthly (or more frequently as necessary).
Wax application directly to floors in excessive amount is prohibited, and waxing stairways is prohibited.
Cleaning must be done before and after school hours; floors must be kept clean and free from litter, and floors near water fountains/drinking and hand-washing facilities must be kept dry.
Each room must have at least two waste receptacles (biodegradable and non-biodegradable).
Windows, floors, glasses, frames, and venetian blinds must be kept clean at all times.

Special day care and pre-school requirements

A pre-school service, day-care service, or children’s institution must not be operated inside a factory, mercantile, or business building unless approved by the local health office.
Any such approval is subject to a condition that the place is free from fire, traffic, pollutants, or other health hazards.
Cellars may not be used as school facilities.
All parts of the building must be adequately lighted and ventilated in accordance with the rules.
Windows in rooms above the ground floor must be safely guarded when window sills are so low as to present a safety hazard to children.
Floors must be constructed of non-skid materials.
Toilets must be provided convenient to playrooms, classrooms, and dormitories, with separate comfort rooms for boys and girls and a partition not less than 1.70 meter high.
Toilets, urinals, and handwashing facilities must have heights and sizes appropriate for children’s use without assistance.
Soap and individual paper or cloth towels or sanitary driers must be provided adjacent to wash basins and within children’s reach; if personal items are provided, each child must have own items.
Drinking water must be potable under Philippine drinking water standards.
Plumbing must be in accordance with the National Plumbing Code of the Philippines.
Equipment and furnishing must be readily washable or easily cleaned.
Heavy draperies, upholstery, and carpets that collect excessive dust must not be used in rooms occupied by children, but may be used for educational purposes if kept clean.
Tables/chairs and other equipment must match children’s size and needs and be readily washable.
Play equipment must foster physical and motor development, be accessible, readily washable, clean, in good and functional condition, and free from hazards such as sharp/pointed parts or toxic/poisonous finishing materials.
First-aid kits stocked for emergency cuts and burns must be easily accessible for use and kept out of reach of young children.
Indoor and outdoor play areas must be available, safe, clean, easily accessible, adequate in size, suitable for children’s needs, with shady areas for outdoor play.
When food is stored or served to children in day care/pre-school/children’s institutions, compliance is required with Chapter III “Food Establishments” of P.D. 856 and implementing rules.
Food for children must be wholesome and nutritious, properly prepared, of good quality, and varied according to a balanced diet.
Milk must be kept at a temperature below 7°C.
A child must not be permitted to remove caps from milk bottles/containers intended for other persons, or to assist dispensing milk, except under adequate supervision.

Special school rules: organs and cadavers

For medical, surgical, and scientific purposes involving organ donation, the implementing rules apply Republic Act No. 7170 (Organ Donation Act of 1991), as amended by Republic Act No. 7885 (Feb. 20, 1995).
Unclaimed remains may be used by medical schools and scientific institutions for studies and research subject to restrictions and documentation requirements.
Cadavers of persons who died of or with a dangerous communicable disease may not be utilized for scientific purposes and/or medical studies.
For deaths from non-dangerous communicable disease, a certification must be secured from the director or chief of hospital certifying that the cadaver has been unclaimed for 48 hours after death and that the cause of death was the relevant disease.
Where cadavers were donated to medical schools and scientific institutions, an affidavit from the nearest of kin with two witnesses is required, subscribed and sworn before a notary public.
Applications for permission to use cadavers for scientific purposes must be forwarded to the regional health director for approval.
Only paramedical institutions authorized by CHED to operate medicine, nursing, dentistry, physical therapy, midwifery, and other paramedical courses may apply for permission to use cadavers for scientific purposes.
The application must be filed by the applying institution and not by a funeral establishment or an individual.
Cadavers must be properly embalmed, certified by the embalmer by affixing the embalmer signature at the back of the Death Certificate under the title “CERTIFICATE OF EMBALMERS”.
Where the cadaver is in a medico-legal case, clearance must be secured first from the chief of police or the prosecutor with jurisdiction.
Applications must include properly accomplished forms with required attachments: the death certificate, certification of inspection from the local health officer at the point of origin, and police certification that there is no claimant before submission to the regional health director.
A necessary transit permit must be secured and the official receipt covering payment must be attached to the application.
Cadavers or parts may not be disposed of in any way or manner other than the purposes applied for.
After cadavers have served their purposes, the applicant institution must give a decent burial and must defray all expenses incident thereto.
The school must post a list of unclaimed cadavers in public places (police department, municipal hall, hospital, market, church) and secure a certification of publication.
The list of unclaimed cadaver must be posted for at least three (3) consecutive days.
Medical/paramedical schools and scientific institutions storing preserved bodies for scientific purposes must provide additional facilities including a morgue constructed as a separate structure or part of the medical/paramedical building with strict privacy maintained.
The morgue must provide compartments containing cadavers in tanks, with each compartment having dimensions 2.5 meter long, 1.5 meter wide, 2.5 meter deep, with a drain pipe leading into a waste water treatment facility separate from the septic tank, and each compartment cover provided with tight fitting lids.
Disposal of cadavers must comply with Chapter XXI “Disposal of Dead Persons” of P.D. 856 and its implementing rules and regulations.