The local government of Pasig has launched a free medical check-up initiative in public elementary schools under the Malusog na Batang Pasigueño (MBP) Program to provide free medical services to students, teachers, and school personnel.
A total of 28 public elementary schools in the city will benefit from the project, led by the Pasig City Education Department in partnership with the City Health Department.
Aside from providing services, the initiative also aims to collect health data to guide the development of additional projects to improve student health and academic performance.
During the program launch last Dec. 13, Mayor Vico Sotto, Rep. Roman Romulo, Vice Mayor Dodot Jaworski, Councilor Angelu de Leon, Councilor Simon Tantoco, and officials from the Pasig Schools Division Office (SDO) delivered messages of support.
Sotto emphasized the importance of assessing children’s health and providing free, accessible medical services directly in schools. The mayor also expressed gratitude to the local officials, teachers, principals, and SDO-Pasig leadership for their warm reception and cooperation.
Jaworski reminded Pasigeunos that “prevention is better than cure,” amd urged them to take full advantage of the medical check-up.
The local government said that before 2024 ends, a pilot implementation will be conducted at Maybunga Elementary School, Caniogan Elementary School, and Francisco Legaspi Memorial School, benefiting an estimated 2,096 Kindergarten to Grade 3 students from these schools.
Services offered under the program include vision tests, physical examinations, X-rays, and complete blood count (CBC), administered by doctors, nurses, and Pasig Health Aides.
This free medical check-up initiative is one of many projects under the MBP Program with services set to continue for other public elementary schools in the city through 2025.
MBP was first launched in May 2021, wherein 147,484 public elementary and high school students, SPED, and community-based ALS students received nutrition food packs every month.
Sotto said the main goal of MBP is to provide the basic nutrition requirements of pupils to stamp out malnutrition, which could adversely affect their academic performance.