Bill requires health curriculum

Oriental Mindoro Rep. Paulino Salvador Leachon has filed a bill to create a bureau of health education that will integrate a health curriculum with those of elementary and high schools, as well as colleges.

In a press statement, Leachon said heightened awareness on health issues would complement government efforts to bring health care to as many people as possible.

The measure, if passed, will cover mental and emotional health; ill effects of the use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs; personal and consumer health; family and sex education; safety and injury prevention; nutrition and fitness; disease prevention and control; health in the workplace, and health economics and health insurance.

Under the bill, the bureau’s board of director for health education shall be the policy-making body that will develop the health curriculum.

The board shall be composed of representatives from the Department of Education, Department of Health, Department of Trade and Industry, Philippine Medical Association and the private sector.

“What we need is to reinforce a robust curriculum on health and environment that will encourage healthy practices,” Leachon said in his statement.

He expressed alarm over a study by the London-based Euromonitor International showing that Filipinos are the world’s third heaviest drinkers, outdoing Americans and Germans.