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COTABATO CITY — The Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE), through its Health and Nutrition Unit (HNU), kicked off the One Health Week celebration today, December 5, at Olandang National High School in Nabalawag, Special Geographic Area (SGA).
The theme, “OK sa MBHTE ang Eskwelahang Healthy,” underscores the Ministry’s commitment to building a healthier, more vibrant educational environment for learners, teachers, and school communities across the region.
Headed by Education Minister Mohagher M. Iqbal, the MBHTE is one of the 15 primary ministries of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
One Health Week is a key part of MBHTE’s broader initiative to ensure that all children in the Bangsamoro region have access to quality education, while also promoting holistic nutrition and well-being. The event aims to improve the nutritional status of Bangsamoro children and ensure that they grow up healthy, strong, and ready to learn.
By addressing the physical, mental, and emotional health needs of students, teachers and school communities, the Ministry is laying a groundwork for a sustainable future, education and health will go hand in hand.
Gizelle Amera Ali, RN, HNU head, highlighted the significance of this initiative.
“This event is important for us as it promotes and emphasizes awareness of the importance of physical, mental, and emotional health for students, teachers, and stakeholders. We want to foster informed decision-making and prepare our learners for the future by prioritizing their health and well-being. This, in turn, helps ensure the sustainable growth of health programs in the region,” she said.
By working alongside its education partners, the Ministry offered a comprehensive experience, combining essential health services with educational outreach. This collaborative effort reflects the Ministry’s belief in the power of community involvement in achieving long-term health and educational goals.
The Bangsamoro region, established in 2018 by the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) to implement the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), is made up of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, and Tawi-Tawi, the cities of Cotabato, Lamitan, and Marawi, as well as the Special Geographic Area’s (SGA) 63 barangays or villages that voted “Yes” in a plebiscite in February 2019 to be under the BARMM jurisdiction. With the recent plebiscite at SGA, the BARMM now has eight new municipalities as residents voted “Yes”.
According to the Philippine Atlas BARMM has 4,404,288 people. It has 116 municipalities (plus eight newly established under the SGA: Basilan, 11 municipalities; Lanao del Sur, 39; undivided Maguindanao, 36; Sulu, 19; and Tawi-Tawi, 11. Its component cities are Cotabato (the regional center and capital) in Maguindanao; Lamitan in Basilan; and Marawi in Lanao del Sur. (✓)