Implementation of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Schools Program in Camarines Sur

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene in Schools (WinS) Program is one of the six flagship programs of Oplan Kalusugan sa Department of Education. The School Health Section of DepEd Camarines Sur cascaded the policy and guidelines for the WinS Program in 2017 through capacity development for school administrators. However, after seven years of implementation, reports revealed that public schools' water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) situations remain poor and deficient. This descriptive study aimed to assess the extent of implementation of the WinS Program in public elementary and secondary schools of Camarines Sur province. Data was collected from a convenient sample of nurses (n = 67), school administrators (n = 158), and teachers (n = 152) from 158 public schools in Camarines Sur using the WinS Program Survey Form. Majority of the schools are public elementary schools; with a population of less than 500 learners; with Php500,001 to Php1,000,000 annual budget allocations and less than 50 school employees. Mostly belong to the fourth congressional district of Camarines Sur and headed by School Principal I. The extent of WinS Program implementation in terms of hygiene, water access, and sanitation was found to be moderately implemented; while deworming and health education were fully implemented in public schools. While some progress has been made in hygiene, water access, and health education, gaps remain due to limited resources and growing student populations. Aligning budgets, personnel, and infrastructure with program needs, along with collaborative efforts and ongoing monitoring, is crucial to achieving better health and learning outcomes for learners.