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In the wake of increasing health threats, the Department of Education (DepEd) once again steps forward to safeguard the health and well-being of learners and education personnel. DepEd Memorandum No. 053, s. 2025, issued on July 4, 2025, is not just another advisory—it's a comprehensive call to action. But instead of focusing solely on alarming statistics or dry procedural bullet points, let’s dive deeper into how this directive redefines school health protocols in a post-pandemic world, emphasizing preparedness, dignity, and community.
🧬 What Is Mpox? Understanding the Enemy to Defeat It 🦠
Before we discuss the DepEd monkeypox advisory, we must understand what Mpox (formerly monkeypox) really is. According to the Department of Health (DOH) and the World Health Organization (WHO), Mpox is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus, notable for its painful rash, swollen lymph nodes, fever, and muscle aches. Despite its serious symptoms, the disease is rarely fatal, and most cases are mild.
The virus spreads through direct contact—either skin-to-skin or through contaminated materials—and intimate interactions, particularly sexual contact. This makes schools a potential hotspot, not because of typical transmission channels, but due to the high volume of physical contact and shared spaces.
🚨 Beyond Awareness: Reactivating the PASS System for True Vigilance 🛎️
What makes DepEd Memo 053 unique is the reactivation of the Preventive Alert System in Schools (PASS), an initiative originally designed during the SARS outbreak under DepEd Order No. 34, s. 2003.
PASS empowers teachers and students alike to become watchful and proactive. Health observations are conducted during class, and peer monitoring is encouraged—where learners can notify teachers if a classmate exhibits suspicious symptoms like rashes, fever, or sore throat.
This school-wide surveillance isn’t just reactive—it’s a step toward building a culture of health accountability in the school system.
🧼 Hygiene as a Habit: Transforming School Culture ✋💧
According to DOH Memorandum No. 2024-0306, hygiene remains the cornerstone of Mpox prevention. But DepEd pushes it further: this isn’t about putting up sanitizer dispensers just for compliance. It’s about embedding hygienic behaviors into the daily life of students and teachers.
The memo calls for:
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Frequent handwashing using alcohol-based rubs
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Daily health inspections in classrooms
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Disinfection of shared surfaces and materials
This renewed focus on cleanliness is not just about avoiding illness—it’s about creating a learning environment where health is prioritized as much as academics.
🏥 Compassionate Isolation and Thoughtful Reintegration 🏠
One of the misunderstood aspects of managing infectious diseases in school is isolation. Instead of treating isolation as punishment or exile, DepEd reframes it as a protective and necessary health response.
Suspect or confirmed Mpox cases are to be:
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Isolated at home, if symptoms are mild
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Monitored by school health personnel
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Allowed to return only after full recovery and medical clearance
This ensures that the individual’s rights, dignity, and safety are protected—especially important for learners who might feel socially ostracized due to illness.
📢 Risk Communication Without Stigma 🗣️
In a society where health issues often lead to discrimination, DepEd Memo 053 stands out by encouraging schools to avoid stigmatizing at-risk groups. This aligns with WHO’s and DOH’s guidance on ethical health communication.
Enclosure No. 2 provides talking points and messaging templates to help teachers and school heads discuss Mpox sensitively and factually. Educators are being equipped not just to inform, but to foster empathy within school communities.
🧑⚕️ The Teacher as Health Sentinel 🧍♀️📋
Gone are the days when teachers were solely academic facilitators. Under the updated guidelines, they now act as frontline observers of student health, initiating contact tracing, reporting symptoms, and liaising with school heads and health units.
According to the memorandum:
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Teachers shall explain PASS operations in class
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Conduct daily health inspections
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Report cases to school heads for medical validation and referral
This approach reshapes the role of educators to include student wellness and health literacy, a move that can have lasting impacts on future public health.
📈 From School Reports to National Monitoring 📤
What happens after a case is identified? The reporting chain, as stated in the memo, is both thorough and rapid. Within 24 hours, confirmed Mpox cases must be escalated from the school level to the division and regional offices, all the way to the DepEd Central Office.
There are also standardized reporting templates available:
This systematic approach allows for real-time monitoring, resource deployment, and risk assessment—ensuring that response strategies are grounded in data.
💰 Yes, There’s Funding—And It’s Accessible 💸
Worried about where the money for sanitizers, PPE, or orientation materials will come from? The good news is that DepEd allocated Program Support Funds (PSF) specifically for Mpox response under the Learner Support Program-SHD 2025 Current Funds.
Schools are guided by the Implementing Guidelines on PSF Utilization (OM-OUOPS-2025-07-02351) to ensure that the funds are used efficiently and transparently.
🧠 Why This Memo Matters: Rethinking School Health Preparedness 💬
More than a procedural memo, DepEd Memorandum No. 053, s. 2025 is a blueprint for public school resilience. It takes cues from the Department of Health and the World Health Organization, but tailors the response to fit the unique dynamics of the Filipino school setting.
It moves beyond mere compliance and toward a holistic, community-centered approach—where teachers, students, health workers, and parents work hand-in-hand to ensure that learning continues in a safe and nurturing space.
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