DepEd mulls insurance for schoolchildren

The Department of Education (DepEd) is eyeing the possibility of providing insurance for all schoolchildren year-round as it called on regulatory agencies to “keep a sharper eye” and conduct more robust assessment and monitoring of vehicles – especially public utility vehicles which carry learners.

Following the death of five high school students in a vehicular accident in Negros Oriental, Education Secretary Leonor Briones, together with Undersecretary for Finance Service and Education Programs Delivery Unit Annalyn Sevilla and Undersecretary for Field Operations and the Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development Revsee Escobedo, shared the Department’s plans in the aftermath of the terrible accident.

“Each time groups of children go out of the periphery of our campus, participate in competitions, and travel to other places, they have to be covered by insurance so that if there is a need for benefits and for assistance, these can be available,” Briones said, explaining the need for the provision of insurance for schoolchildren — all 27 million of them.

Briones also called on regulatory agencies to be stricter in the assessment and monitoring of vehicles, especially public utility vehicles like the one carrying the victims in the Negros Oriental accident.

She further cited “how they have to look into the state of mind of the drivers and the vehicles, as well as the legality of the franchises.”

Meanwhile, Briones and Sevilla mentioned the “need for a quick response fund” – especially because the “provision of financial assistance for these types of incidents is not included in the DepEd budget.” This shall be brought up, they said, in the next budget proposal.

Following the vehicular accident, Briones called for “greater vigilance” towards protection of children. She called on civil society organizations, local government units, national government institutions, and the rest of the community to be “more vigilant in protecting children because they are the first victims of accidents and abuse.”

The Education Chief made the appeal after visiting the wake of five students – one Grade 7 and four Grade 11 – of Basay National High School who died in a vehicular accident morning of March 1 in Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental.