Lanao del Sur 1 and Marawi schools mark global handwashing day

By ROCAYA SUMNDAD OTICAL
Saguiaran, Lanao del Sur
October 24, 2017

From left: Lds 1 Supervisor Normillah Lininding –Alonto; Saguiaran MPDC Engr. Aga A. Sampal; Saguiaran  Municipal Vice Mayor Hafiz A. Muti; LDS 1 focal person Dr. Saliha M. Amer; MCD SDS Pharida L. Sansarona; DepEd-ARMM Chief of Health and Nutrition Unit Sittie Pieron Abutazil-Du, RN; MCD official H. Aizah Guiling; and LDS 1 Nurse In Charge Norodin Ismael. (RSP Photo by RSO)

The schools in Marawi and Lanao del Sur 1 divisions celebrated on Tuesday the 2017 global handwashing day at here which was graced by officials coming from the regional office of the Department of Education of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DepEd-ARMM), local government officials and other partner agencies.

With the theme, “OUR HANDS, OUR FUTURE!” the activity was held at the Oval Playground of Sultan Angin Memorial High School. It was hosted by Saguiaran Central Elementary School in partnership with the regional office of DepEd-ARMM and the Australian Aid.

Sittie Pieron Atzil-Du

The regional office of ARMM’s education department headed by Secretary John Magno led the handwashing celebrations through the representation of Sittie Pieron Abutazil-Du, ARMM Chief for Health and Nutrition Unit, who reiterated ARMM’s pledge of Commitment and led the ceremonial handwashing and the inaugural distribution of the Demo Hygiene First Aid Kit.

Programme:

A street parade around the town’s poblacion kicked off the program of activity which started at 7oclock in the morning. After the invocation and singing of the Philippine National Anthem and ARMM Hymn, School Principal Indira A. Aguam welcomed the guests, participants and observers. 

This was followed by a short remark from Pharida L. Sansarona, acting Marawi City schools division superintendent. 

Sansarona said that as the Marawi Siege is over, we were able to move on.

She said there will be no more traumatic memories of the Marawi crisis. 

Superintendent Sansarona

"For the past 3 days we have been seeing several military tracks and several buses with men in uniform returning to their families, to their  original places," Sansarona said.

On her part, Lanao del Sur 1 Focal Person Dr. Saliha M. Amer who represented Dr. Normillah Sumigay Pangandaman, LDS 1 schools division superintendent, expressed the full support of her division to the global handwashing activity.

"I am here to join... in our goal to reduce the illnesses in the poor communities through public-private partnerships promoting handwashing with soap," Dr. Amer said.

She believed that "In a long term, global handwashing day can become a powerful platform for advocacy aimed at policy makers and key stakeholders and an occasion for concrete public commitment to actions that will spur behavior change."

Other officials who graced the occasion with their presence and participation included Saguiaran Vice Mayor Hafiz A. Muti, LDS 1 Focal Person Dr. Saliha M. Amer (In behalf of LDS 1 SDS Normillah Pangandaman) and LDS 1 Supervisor Normillah Lininding-Alonto. (RSP)