Press Release
April 18, 2009

'Text-for-Change' bill to fight absenteeism,
health woes among pupils--Gordon

The problem of absenteeism in school and the improvement of health condition of pupils could well be addressed with a complete and wide-spread program as what the "text-for-change" bill intends, Independent Senator Richard J. Gordon today said.

Gordon said the comprehensive oral health care and general hygiene program of the Department of Education (DepEd) could be sustained and provided nationwide when appropriate funds are made available, which is an objective of Senate Bill 2402 he authored.

"Instead of being contented with a program that would address only part of the problem in the country's educational and health care systems, the government could provide every student's need if only we explore the possibilities lying in front of us," he said.

"We have here a proposal that seeks not only to upgrade our educational system but also to improve the health and welfare of our students," he added.

According to the DepEd, toothache, diarrhea, respiratory ailments and soil-transmitted worm infections were prevalent in pre-school and school children, which is the cause of absenteeism and dropping-out of school.

The department has recently pilot-tested a comprehensive oral health care and general hygiene program for school children to keep them in school by reducing infectious diseases and dental problems by 30 to 50 percent.

While it is a good step in improving the country's health and education system, Gordon said, it is disappointing that the DepEd's program began only now.

The senator said such efforts should have been done long ago especially that the Constitution declares that education is not just a right of everyone, but it shall be a priority of the State.

"It is written in our Constitution that education should be number one, a priority of the government. And yet, look at our educational system--we lack classrooms, books, toilets, our teachers have low salaries, and our students are unhealthy," Gordon said.

He said that the pressing problems plaguing the country's educational and health care systems led him to file SB 2402, the Health and Education Acceleration Program (HEAP) Corporation.

Under the HEAP bill, a corporation will be established to manage funds that would be remitted by giant telecommunications companies from a small portion of their net revenues from local text messages which reportedly reach two billion daily.

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