Healing While Learning: Marcos Admin Brings Free Health Services to Public Schools with CLASS+ Launch

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In the heart of Quezon City, classrooms at Esteban Abada Elementary School buzzed with more than just the excitement of a new academic year. Alongside books and blackboards, students were greeted by doctors and nurses, stethoscopes in hand—not to teach, but to heal.

This wasn’t just another school day. It marked the powerful launch of CLASS+ (Clinics for Learners’ Access to School-health Services Plus)—a nationwide initiative driven by the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to transform every public school into a gateway for accessible healthcare.

A Classroom Revolution in Health

Gone are the days when health services were a distant luxury for many Filipino students and educators. With CLASS+, the government is rewriting the narrative—turning ordinary school clinics into lifelines of free, quality healthcare for learners and teachers alike. The program is a joint effort between the Department of Education (DepEd), the Department of Health (DOH), and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), grounded in the President’s clear directive: put the health and well-being of Filipino youth front and center.

During the pilot rollout at Esteban Abada ES alone, over 400 students and teachers received free medical consultations, basic laboratory tests, and preventive care through PhilHealth’s Konsulta Package. Mobile PhilHealth registration booths were also on-site, ensuring that no learner would be left behind for lack of enrollment.

“Binibigyang-prioridad talaga ni Pangulong Marcos ang edukasyon at kalusugan ng mga mag-aaral,” emphasized Education Secretary Sonny Angara. “Ngayon, magkatuwang ang DepEd, DOH, PhilHealth, at mga LGU sa pagbibigay ng serbisyong pangkalusugan ngayong school opening week. Sama-sama tayong kumikilos para sa kabutihan ng ating mga anak at mga guro.”

CLASS+ in Action: Care That Comes to the Classroom

At the heart of CLASS+ lies a simple but game-changing idea: healthcare should go where the learners are. Under this new framework, school clinics now serve as access points for PhilHealth’s Konsulta Package. Students and school staff can now benefit from:

General health consultations

Diagnostic and basic laboratory tests

Free essential medicines

Health counseling

Referral to partner hospitals or Konsulta providers when needed

And this is only the beginning.

Building a Healthier Learning Environment

CLASS+ also expands on DepEd’s Learners’ Health Assessment and Screening (LHAS) program under the Oplan Kalusugan sa DepEd (OK sa DepEd) banner. Rolling out in all public schools this academic year, LHAS ensures that every Kindergarten to Grade 12 student receives:

General physical examinations

Nutritional assessments (tracking height, weight, and nutritional status)

Oral health check-ups

Mental health screenings

These assessments are not only about identifying health concerns early—they are strategic tools to guide vital support programs, like school-based feeding and mental health interventions. The initiative began with Brigada Eskwela, where schools started building master lists of students and checking their PhilHealth registration status.

Starting July, physical exams and oral health screenings will begin, in alignment with One Health Week. Meanwhile, mental health screening—a growing priority for DepEd—will run from August to December, using globally recognized tools like the CARS (Children and Adolescents Risk Screener) and Rapid HEEADSSS assessments tailored for adolescents aged 10–19.

A Data-Driven, Compassion-Fueled Future

Looking beyond the rollout, DepEd and PhilHealth are developing a School Health Package informed by the national health data gathered through CLASS+ and LHAS. This will shape a customized benefit package for school clinics, enabling them to deliver sustainable, long-term primary care that evolves with the needs of learners and teachers.

The vision is clear: an education system where no child’s learning is hindered by untreated illness, and no teacher’s dedication is compromised by a lack of medical support.

More Than Medicine—It’s a Movement

While CLASS+ may be framed in policies and partnerships, its true power lies in the quiet, human victories it sparks every day. A mother sleeping better, knowing her child’s cough was finally checked. A student seeing clearly after a free eye exam. A teacher comforted by timely mental health support.

These are the stories behind the statistics—proof that the government’s promise of a whole-of-government approach to education and health is more than rhetoric. It’s real, it’s working, and it’s changing lives.

Through CLASS+, the Marcos administration isn’t just teaching the next generation—it’s making sure they’re strong, healthy, and ready to learn.

Because every Filipino child deserves not just a classroom, but a future—with good health as their foundation.

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