Press Release
May 26, 2009

Zubiri to LGUs, DepEd: Coordinate safety of students vs. AH1N1 flu

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri on Tuesday appealed to all local government executives to coordinate and work with the Department of Education (DepEd) and school officials near their jurisdiction.

The Majority Leader aired his appeal following the recent health bulletin issued by the Department of Health saying there are 10 suspected swine flu cases that are being monitored in the country aside from the two confirmed cases under the DOH watch.

"Local leaders could solicit assistance from barangay officials and coordinate with the education department on how to implement safety measure and information campaign to students against the deadly AH1NI flu," Zubiri said.

He likewise asked the local executives to meet with the school heads and encourage teachers to "brief parents on the implication of swine flu before the opening of classes to stop the spread of AH1N1.

"We have to act together and tap agencies and offices that can be of help to us, especially in this time of situation where people are not fully aware of their vulnerability to this kind of flu," he said.

"Of course we don't want to drive the people to panic, particularly to our students, but we owe it to the people to educate, guide and usher them on how they can actively fight the spread of swine flu virus," he added.

The health department and local executives must ensure that the classrooms are well sanitized before students go back to school next week," Zubiri said.

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