Education Dept to Train Principals on Tobacco Control

The Department of Education (DepEd) will train principals and other members of the schools’ Child Protection Committees on comprehensive tobacco control.

According to a department news release, the CPC is the group that ensures the implementation of DepEd Order No. 48 (2016) on the policy and guidelines on comprehensive tobacco control.

Health officers, program specialists, and writers from the DepEd central office and regional and division offices in Calabarzon, Central Luzon, and the National Capital Region, participated in a “writeshop” held in Baguio City last month to draft the content of the training manual on the effective implementation of the department order.

Serving as resource persons were representatives of partner agencies and organizations, such as the Department of Health, Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA), and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines.

The training course, as drafted in the workshop, is consistent with DepEd’s vision to ensure that educators are equipped with the knowledge and skills to guide students in smoke-free habits and environments.

The department order aims to enforce tobacco control policies in schools and offices, emphasizing on protection against tobacco industry interference, defined as “the broad array of tactics and strategies utilized by the tobacco industry to influence or interfere with the setting and implementation of tobacco control policies”.

“If this training can successfully prevent our youths from the false allure of tobacco companies, whether it be smoking or working for the industry, it will be a huge contribution to the human and socioeconomic development of our country, both currently and in the decades to come,” said Dr. Ulysses Dorotheo, SEATCA director. (PNA)
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