Iloilo City to roll out 'Bakuna Eskwela'

ILOILO CITY — The City Health Office will conduct its annual School-Based Immunization (SBI) program, or “Bakuna Eskwela,” in public schools from 19 October to 13 December 2026.

City Health Office Nurse IV and Immunization Program Coordinator Mayette Gabanto said during a press conference that the Department of Health, in partnership with the Department of Education, leads the activity.

The program will target Grade 1 and Grade 7 learners, as well as female students in Grades 4 and 5.

Grade 1 and Grade 7 learners will receive measles-rubella and tetanus-diphtheria vaccines, while Grade 4 female students will be offered the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to help prevent cervical cancer.

We will also target Grade 5 students who have not yet received the HPV vaccine for vaccination.

“For Grade 1 and Grade 7, the vaccines we will administer are measles-rubella and tetanus-diphtheria. For our Grade 4 female learners, we will give the HPV vaccine against cervical cancer. For Grade 5, we will target students who have not yet received the HPV vaccine,” Gabanto said.

Private schools interested in participating may submit a letter of intent or coordinate directly with the City Health Office, she added.

The office has yet to determine the total number of learners to be covered by this year's campaign, as it continues information dissemination in schools.

In 2025, the program vaccinated 3,308 Grade 1 learners, 3,489 Grade 7 students, and 1,744 Grade 4 learners.