PhilHealth rolls out learners’ material for Grade 10 Health

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), through its Social Health Insurance Academy and in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), developed a learners’ material for 10th Grade Health in public schools to promote understanding of the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) as a health care financing mechanism for Filipinos.

The PhilHealth Learners’ Material, certified by DepEd’s Bureau of Curriculum Development as compliant with the K-12 curriculum standards, is taught under the Health component of the Music, Arts, Physical Education, and Health (MAPEH) subject of tenth graders during the first quarter of the school year.

PhilHealth and DepEd entered into a memorandum of agreement for the nationwide rollout of the PhilHealth Learners’ Material, defining the roles of the two partners in strengthening health information and education among Grade 10 students and teachers in public schools beginning school year 2017-2018.

Implementing the use of the learners’ material involves orienting Grade 10 Health teachers on NHIP and training them on how to use the PhilHealth Learners’ Material. PhilHealth also monitored and evaluated the initial teaching of the material by some of the trained teachers to assess its effectiveness and determine possible enhancements.

In Central Visayas, the Mandaue City Schools Division and the Lapu-Lapu City Schools Division were the pilot implementers of the program last year.

“PhilHealth Learners’ Material is really very informative not just for the students who might just have heard a little about PhilHealth but also to the teachers and administrators alike,” said Niño Matillano, Mandaue City Schools Division education program supervisor and awarded outstanding teacher.

Matillano also urged other public schools to work together and partner with PhilHealth in becoming channels and advocates of positive information.

From May to August this year, PhilHealth-7 oriented both teaching and non-teaching personnel of DepEd on the NHIP, and trained tenth grade MAPEH or Health teachers on the use of the PhilHealth Learners’ Material.

The schools divisions include Carcar City, Dumaguete City, Siquijor, Bohol, Guihulngan City, and Danao City. The training and orientation for the Talisay City Schools Division, on the other hand, is scheduled on November 16.

With the learners’ material, PhilHealth aims to equip students with knowledge and understanding about the principles of social health insurance, which is rooted in the Filipino value of "bayanihan,” and to develop young advocates of the program.

(PR)