MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the Department of Education (DepEd) to equip teachers with basic health literacy skills to help Filipinos to effectively respond to a pandemic and other health situations. In his budget message to Congress, Duterte said health literacy will be an “important item in our schools’ curricula” next year as the country grapples with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has already sickened over 205,000 people nationwide. According to Duterte, DepEd targets to print 944.4 million learning modules for 2021 and provide transistor radios for learners who have limited access or have absolutely no access to technology. ADVERTISEMENTThe DepEd will also allot P24.1 billion to construct 5,174 new classrooms, and procure 38,917 sets of school seats, among others, under its Basic Education Facilities Program. The opening of the 2020-2021 academic year has been moved to Oct. 5 amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer August 28, 2020 05:37 UTC