Quezon City Mayor Herbert M. Bautista has signed into law an ordinance that seeks to prevent students from acquiring dehydration-related disorders.
Ordinance No. SP-2393 S-2015 institutionalizes waterbreak time in all private and public schools in QC that offers day care, elementary and high school classes to ensure that school children shall develop the good habit of drinking sufficient amounts of water everyday.
The measure aims to instill in the minds of young learners the importance of taking enough amount of fluids, especially water, to protect them from possible disorders caused by dehydration.
According to 2nd District Councilor Ramon P. Medalla, author of the ordinance, the city government shall take the preliminary step in inculcating the daily habit of drinking water among residents, especially young students who are not aware of the bad effects of playing under the sun, and satisfying their thirst by drinking soft drinks instead of potable water.
Councilor Medalla added that the ordinance also aims to develop awareness among school children on the need to drink enough water everyday, not just to satisfy thirst but also to keep the body healthy because water intake is necessary to easily flush out harmful toxins, prevent constipation, keep the joints lubricated, regulate body temperature, and make the tissues moist such as eyes, nose and mouth.
Under the ordinance, school administrators are directed to strictly implement the mandate of the new measure. They are also directed to have close coordination with the parents-teachers association (PTA) and other socio-civic organizations for the possible installation of facilities for adequate potable /purified drinking water in school, to ensure that clean drinking water is always available to school children.
Medalla noted that the Maynilad, as part of their corporate social responsibility program, had installed drinking fountains in some QC schools.
For the waterbreak time observance, the City Health Department is tasked to periodically conduct water testing on faucets designed for drinking, as well as ensure availability of water in drinking fountains and water being sold in school premises.
The waterbreak time shall be observed before the start of the first subject and at the end of the last subject of a school day, without deterring the students from drinking water at any other given time, provided that they will not in any way disrupt the classes. (Rico)
Posted By: Edrillan Pasion
