By Solitario S. Cañoneo, T-II, ZNNHS |
Recognizing the role of education in ensuring the learners’ right to good health, and reducing adolescents and youth’s vulnerabilities to violence, early pregnancy, and other reproductive health issues, the Schools Division Office (SDO) of Dipolog City, through the Curriculum Implementation Division (CID), conducted a three-day orientation training on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) Curriculum Implementation and Adolescent Reproductive Health (ARH) Referral System of Pilot School Implementation cum MOU Signing last January 26 to 28, 2022. With the support of USAID- Reach Health- Regional office, the orientation program was made possible in conjunction with the LGU-Dipolog City, the Commission on Population Development- Regional Office, The Challege Initiative (TCI), Zuelling Family Foundation (ZFF), and ZNFePA.
The CSE-ARH Convergence is part of the government’s comprehensive response to high incidence of early pregnancies, Human-Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection, and other reproductive health challenges among people of young age.
The three-day orientation training was made feasible by two modalities: a limited face-to-face session at Miputak East Central School’s Covered Court, which was participated by those fully vaccinated personnel, and a virtual orientation via MS Teams and Facebook Live. This was participated by teachers from Zamboanga del Norte National High School (ZNNHS), with the school principal, assistant principal, deputy principal, guidance, and school health personnel, as well as other SDO personnel. Thirteen (13) other ARH Coordinators from various schools also attended the aforementioned orientation course. These coordinatoors were coming from the following schools: Miputak NHS, Tubod IS, Sinaman IS, Cogon NHS, Dipolog City NHS, Sicayab NHS, Pamansalan ETHS, Punta NHS, Upper Dicayas IS, AQUMATSHS, Galas NHS, Gulayon NHS and Sta. Filomena NHS.
Relative to this training, the resource speakers addressed and presented a wide range of issues and topics. On the second day of the course, substantial activities such as demonstration teaching and critiquing apparently happened. The MOU Signing for the CSE-ARH Convergence by the ZNNHS Personnel and The Challenge Initiative (TCI) Team took place on the last day of the program to round out the three-day orientation training.
Eventually, the three-day orientation training went off without a hitch, with a lot of significant realizations and lessons learned, through the collaborative efforts of the working team of the Schools Division Office (SDO) of Dipolog City, together with the resource speakers, stakeholders, and participants.This program will in some way empower every school in ensuring that learners are provided with the information, skills, attitude, and values necessary to develop critical thinking about risky behaviors and to become more conscious on the importance of good health, well-being, and dignity. This is also expected to lead to better learning results, lower dropout rates, and greater educational equity.
