The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on first reading a proposed ordinance mandating all public and private schools from pre-school up to senior high school to ring their bells at least four times a day during school hours as a signal to remind the learners to drink water to keep them hydrated throughout the day.
Under the proposed ordinance, it shall be the policy of the city government to uphold and promote the general welfare and ensure the delivery of basic services to maximize the exercise of proprietary functions of the city for the general welfare and to ensure the delivery of basic services and the provision of adequate facilities relative to health.
The ordinance claimed that it is the duty and responsibility of the parents or guardians to provide for their children or wards containers for potable water sufficient enough to drink for a day, monitor their child’s progress in school, coordinate with teachers and attend parents-teachers meetings.
It is also the duty and responsibility of all schools, the principals, school administrators or school heads to mandatorily adopt a system that would fit the schedule of their school and their students in the effective implementation of the proposed measure.
Further, all schools in the city are mandated to post signage of ‘Water Wellness Schedule for Students’ inside their classrooms or premises.
The ordinance pointed out that schools violating the proposed measure would be initially called upon where a written or verbal complaint will be filed with the Schools Division Superintendent. In turn, the Schools Division Superintendent shall verify the veracity of all complaints and shall conduct investigations from witnesses and other modes of conducting investigations to determine whether a violation of the ordinance is committed.
Moreover, the School Division Superintendent shall either dismiss or issue a notice of violation to the concerned school.
Any school that does not comply with the pertinent provisions of the ordinance shall be liable for notice of violation for the first offense; a second and final notice of violation for the second offense and a reprimand until such time that the school complies with the ordinance for the third and succeeding offenses.
The ordinance noted that schools in other countries practice the aforesaid program and similarly, health experts often recommended people to drink eight glasses of water daily where this was increased to around 12 to 16 glasses which is known as the 8×8 rule.
The proposed measure emphasizes that water is a healthy alternative to sugar-sweetened beverages. Drinking water improves memory and attention, helps children maintain a healthy wait, reduces the risk for some chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and helps prevent dental cavities if fluoridated.
United Nations Resolution No. 64/292 entitled ‘The Human Right to Water and Sanitation’ adopted by the general assembly on July 28, 2010 formally recognizes the right to water and sanitation and acknowledges that clean drinking water and sanitation are essential to the realization of all human rights. The resolution called upon states and international organizations to provide financial resources, health capacity-building and technology transfer to help countries, in particular developing countries, to provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable water and sanitation for all. By Dexter A. See
