THE Department of Education (DepEd) has ordered all public basic education institutions nationwide to step up their dengue and leptospirosis prevention, health monitoring, and reporting protocols following a surge in water- and vector-borne diseases brought by heavy monsoon rains and tropical cyclones.
In dual advisories, DepEd directed school heads, health personnel, and staff to enforce strict environmental sanitation standards.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive prioritizing learner and staff safety, calling on parents, local government units, and school administrators to collaborate on keeping surroundings clean and preventing flood exposure.
Under the new directives, schools must vigorously implement the Department of Health’s (DOH) Enhanced 4S Strategy: searching and destroying mosquito-breeding sites, securing self-protection, seeking early consultation, and supporting targeted fogging.
Schools are integrating the “4 O’Clock Habit” (Taob, Taktak, Tuyo, Takip) into regular routines, conducting thorough inspections of classrooms, drainage systems, gutters, and storage areas for stagnant water.
Learners and staff are encouraged to wear protective long clothing, use mosquito repellents, and ensure window screens are intact.
Addressing the threat of leptospirosis, DepEd strictly restricted students from wading or swimming in floodwaters and muddy soil.
When exposure is unavoidable, schools must ensure individuals wear protective boots and gloves, cover wounds with waterproof dressings, and wash immediately with soap and clean water. School grounds exposed to flooding must be fully cleaned, disinfected, and safety-assessed before re-entry.
For both illnesses, prompt medical attention is paramount.
DepEd warned against self-administering post-exposure prophylaxis or antibiotics, instructing anyone exhibiting symptoms—such as prolonged high fever, severe muscle aches, or reddish eyes—to seek immediate professional care.
To ensure rapid tracking, DepEd launched an automated Dengue and Leptospirosis Case Monitoring and Reporting Tool.
Schools are required to encode reported cases into the system within 24 hours to inform division, regional, and central offices.
This internal mechanism complements existing DOH surveillance systems to maintain safe learning environments across the country.
