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Graders learn hand washing during Global Hand Washing Day
KIDAPAWAN, North Cotabato – Grade-school pupils at the Lanao Central Elementary School, one of the biggest public elementary schools here, were taught the proper way of hand washing during today’s Global Hand Washing Day celebrations. Hand washing, according to Joey Recemilla, coordinator of the Children’s First Program of the North Cotabato provincial government, is still the most cost-effective way to prevent pneumonia, diarrhea, and other communicable diseases, including the influenza H1N1. Dr. Ray Catague, provincial health officer of North Cotabato, said the Global Hand Washing Day aims to motivate people, especially children to make it a habit to wash their hands everyday. During the ceremony, Dr. Lourdes Varias, superintendent of the Kidapawan City Schools Division, said there are two basic grounds on why hand washing should be done at least three times a day. 
“First, health is wealth. Second, prevention is better than cure. These are primary reasons why hand washing should be taught not in schools but also in our homes," she said. Teaching the children proper hand washing was not that difficult, according to teachers at the Lanao Central Elementary School. They first taught the basics in hand washing when reports about the spread of influenza A(H1N1) came out. The province had at least 14 confirmed cases of A(H1N1) since June. The city has at least four cases. Earlier, Integrated Pprovincial Health Office (IPHO) head Dr. Catague said the spread of the virus has become manageable after the provincial government, together with some stakeholders, had taken measures to prevent further contamination. Recemilla said the simultaneous launching of hand washing in North Cotabato coincided with the full implementation of tooth brushing and de-worming in all public elementary schools in the province. “These activities will give children access to improved sanitation and hygiene at home, thus, reducing deaths among children," she said. The project is being implemented by the Children’s First Program of the provincial government, in partnership with the Department of Education in North Cotabato, and the Essential Health Care Package (EHCP) of the German Agency for Technical Cooperation Centrum für internationale Migration und Entwicklung (GTZ CIM). From 2008 until this year, the program has covered 12 pilot schools in eight towns in North Cotabato from 2008 until this year and targeted 10,000 school children. Cotabato Governor Jesus Sacdalan has approved the expansion the program for another year and has allotted some P5 million for it. The project will now cater to 17 towns and one city in North Cotabato or 608 public elementary schools with 190 thousand school children as beneficiaries. Recemilla said the schools chosen as beneficiaries of the project will have steady supply for one year of soap and other materials needed to maintain proper hygiene and sanitation among children. - GMANews.TV
Grade-school pupils of the Lanao Central Elementary School wait their turn to practice the proper way of washing their hands, during the Global Hand Washing Day celebrations. Malu Cadelina Manar
“First, health is wealth. Second, prevention is better than cure. These are primary reasons why hand washing should be taught not in schools but also in our homes," she said. Teaching the children proper hand washing was not that difficult, according to teachers at the Lanao Central Elementary School. They first taught the basics in hand washing when reports about the spread of influenza A(H1N1) came out. The province had at least 14 confirmed cases of A(H1N1) since June. The city has at least four cases. Earlier, Integrated Pprovincial Health Office (IPHO) head Dr. Catague said the spread of the virus has become manageable after the provincial government, together with some stakeholders, had taken measures to prevent further contamination. Recemilla said the simultaneous launching of hand washing in North Cotabato coincided with the full implementation of tooth brushing and de-worming in all public elementary schools in the province. “These activities will give children access to improved sanitation and hygiene at home, thus, reducing deaths among children," she said. The project is being implemented by the Children’s First Program of the provincial government, in partnership with the Department of Education in North Cotabato, and the Essential Health Care Package (EHCP) of the German Agency for Technical Cooperation Centrum für internationale Migration und Entwicklung (GTZ CIM). From 2008 until this year, the program has covered 12 pilot schools in eight towns in North Cotabato from 2008 until this year and targeted 10,000 school children. Cotabato Governor Jesus Sacdalan has approved the expansion the program for another year and has allotted some P5 million for it. The project will now cater to 17 towns and one city in North Cotabato or 608 public elementary schools with 190 thousand school children as beneficiaries. Recemilla said the schools chosen as beneficiaries of the project will have steady supply for one year of soap and other materials needed to maintain proper hygiene and sanitation among children. - GMANews.TV
