NegOcc MAPEH teachers train to teach PhilHealth in school

“Teachers affect eternity; no one can tell where their influence stops,” said Henry Adams, a famous professor of the medieval era.

It is in the same light that PhilHealth Regional Office VI in partnership with the Department of Education conducted a province-wide training on the Teaching of PhilHealth Learner’s Material (PLM) to Grade 10 Public Secondary Schools MAPEH Teachers of Negros Occidental.

At least 300 teachers coming from the seven Schools Divisions of Kabankalan City, Bago City, La Carlota City, Silay City, Bacolod City and Sagay City participated in the month-long conduct of training scheduled in seven sessions from May 14 – 16, May 23 – 24, May 31 and June 7, 2019 respectively.

The teaching of PLM in MAPEH subjects started in 2015 and aims to provide students with the knowledge and understanding about PhilHealth and values/principles of Social Health Insurance, instil appreciation about the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) to the students early in their lives and raise young advocates and champions of PhilHealth.

“We believe that teachers are the best source of learning in school and that they have the capability to diligently mould young minds to become achievers in life. Hence, we want to further equip our educators with the needed knowledge to be able to teach PhilHealth and its values effectively to students” said Janet A. Monteverde, PhilHealth-6 Acting Regional Vice President.

Apart from the guidance on how to lecture and impart PhilHealth, discussions on the National Health Insurance Program, membership programs and enhanced benefits were also tackled.

A monitoring and evaluation of volunteer demo schools on the implementation of the PLM teaching will be conducted by PhilHealth Regional officers in the first semester of the school year to gauge if the teacher and the learners are able to demonstrate critical thinking skills in the evaluation and utilization of PhilHealth products and benefits.

The demo schools are Tuyom National High School in Cauayan, Pontevedra National High School, Negros Occidental National Science High School in Victorias City, Jovita H. Sayson National High School in Bacolod City, Doña Hortencia Salas Benedicto National High School in La Carlota City, Ramon Torres Taloc National High School in Bago City, Doña Montserrat Lopez Memorial High School in Silay City, Binicuil National High School in Kabankalan City and Sagay National High School.

The training also served as a venue to introduce the upcoming First PhilHealth National Quiz Bee which will be open to all Grade 10 to 12 students in the country and will be held during the celebration of the Corporation’s 25^th Anniversary on February 14, 2020. (PRO-6 Public Affairs Unit/K. N. Alkonga)