Baler, Aurora – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Education Secretary Sonny Angara, and PhilHealth President Edwin Mercado launched the Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP) Caravan at Aurora National High School on Monday.
According to the Department of Education (DepEd), the YAKAP Caravan is part of PhilHealth’s expanded primary care package, reflecting the government’s commitment to health and wellness in the education sector.
Students, teachers, non-teaching personnel, and their families attended the event, highlighting the administration’s push for inclusive and accessible healthcare services.
During the caravan, participants received benefits such as free consultations, basic laboratory tests, essential medicines, and screenings for illnesses, including certain cancers.
The program targets underserved populations, including persons with disabilities (PWDs), students, teachers, and individuals in geographically isolated areas. It aims to strengthen preventive healthcare, reduce costly hospitalizations, and bring health services closer to all Filipinos under the Universal Health Care Act.
The YAKAP Caravan builds on PhilHealth’s KONSULTA program, offering a more comprehensive set of primary care services for early detection and prevention of illnesses.
The event was facilitated through a partnership with 1Life Clinic, which provided logistics, personnel, and on-site medical services. This collaboration underscores the importance of public-private partnerships in advancing the goals of Universal Health Care.
By bringing healthcare services directly to schools, the program ensures that educators, students, and their families receive timely care without traveling long distances.
Officials from the Schools Division of Aurora, along with students and their families, actively participated in the caravan. DepEd Region III officials, led by RD Ronnie Mallari, and Aurora Schools Division Superintendent Dante Parungao ensured the school and community were well-prepared.
DepEd Region III emphasized that the initiative is part of a broader effort to integrate health and wellness into the education system, setting a promising example for future health programs nationwide.
