THE Department of Education (DepEd) and Department of Health (DoH) renewed their commitment to promote handwashing in schools and communities, together with other health measures, to ensure safe school reopening and reduce disease transmission in public settings. Collaborating with Unicef and the WHO, DepEd co-convened the 2021 Global Handwashing Day (GHD) Symposium "Malinis na Kamay para sa Kinabukasan ng Bayan" (Clean Hands for the Nation's Future) to promote handwashing across schools, communities and workplace settings amid the pandemic are featured. This year's joint celebration of the GHD follows the issuance of the first joint memorandum circular between the DepED and DoH on the operational guidelines on the implementation of limited face-to-Face learning modality in support of the pilot reopening of 120 schools.
"Even before the pandemic, DepEd has already encouraged hand washing habits for our learners through our Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Schools (WinS) program. As we embark on piloting face-to-face classes, DepED recognizes that safe return to school requires in particular, among other measures, observance of hand washing practice. Commitment to a culture of hand washing in schools remains strong. We call on our partners in the local government and private sector to support improvement of facilities and sustainability of supplies in schools," said Education Secretary Leonor Briones.
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