By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
Bringing healthcare services closer to students, the Department of Education (DepEd) teamed up with the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to launch the YAKAP School Health and Protection Program (YAKAP-SHP).
Under the inter-agency agreement, public schools will be designated as hubs for providing healthcare and screening services, as well as other program activities for students, teachers, non-teaching staff, and their families.
The program also covers out-of-school youth as well as students with developmental delays and disabilities, and includes assessments of vision, hearing, dental health, nutrition, and psychosocial and developmental domains.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara expounded, “Napakalaking bagay nito para sa atin, sa ating mga teachers, sa ating mga learners, at sa kanilang mga pamilya. Nakikita natin tuwing may YAKAP Caravan kasama ang ating Pangulong Bongbong Marcos, laging full house ang pagpunta dahil napakahalaga talaga ng mga serbisyong pino-provide ng PhilHealth.”
In compliance with Republic Act No. 11650, or the Inclusive Education Act of 2022, the Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) strengthens targeted support for learners with disabilities by directly integrating disability and developmental screening into YAKAP’s primary care services.
It establishes referral and care-navigation pathways to appropriate health, rehabilitation, and specialized services, while ensuring that these health interventions align with the following:
- Child Find System
- Educational assessments
- Multidisciplinary Team processes
- Inclusive Learning Resource Center (ILRC) services
- Individualized Education Plans (IEP)
- Reasonable accommodations and other inclusive education mechanisms
Under the YAKAP-SHP, schools will be authorized to host YAKAP mobile caravans and incorporate other partners and private health service providers to facilitate access for the program’s beneficiaries.
Also present during the signing of the five-year MOA were DOH Secretary Dr. Edwin Mercado, DILG Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla, and PhilHealth President and CEO Dr. Beverly Ho.
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