TOP TEN. Personnel of the Malitbog National High School in Calinog, Iloilo during the virtual announcement of the Top 10 shortlist for World's Best School Prize for Supporting Healthy Lives category on June 9, 2022. The school will present its best practices during the virtual World Education Summit in October this year.(Photo courtesy of Rechel L. Basan) ILOILO CITY - The Malitbog National High School in Calinog, Iloilo will take center stage to share its happy and healthy school program as its best practice amid this health pandemic in a virtual World Education Summit (WES) this October. The school was among the Top 10 shortlisted for the World's Best School Prize for Supporting Healthy Lives category announced virtually on June 9, 2022 and organized by the T4 Education, one of the largest communities of teachers and schools around the world based in London, United Kingdom. The school, which has over 1,000 learners from Grade 7 to Grade 12, is the only school in the Philippines to have been chosen. "We saw our strength on that category because we already have institutionalized programs, projects and activities supporting the needs of children to promote healthy lives not only for healthy bodies but also healthy relationships," said Jesus Insilada, Principal II of Malitbog National High School in an interview on Wednesday. He added that their program addresses needs in the curriculum implementation, learning continuity, home-based learning during this pandemic, and observing health protocols with the gradual holding of the face-to-face classes for the safety of our learners, parents, teachers, and personnel who will go to the school. It has been their advocacy to become optimistic, positive, and always have a happy disposition in whatever challenges they face as they continue collaborating with their education community, Insilada added. Meanwhile, in partnership with the parents, they see to it that every household has a home garden that is being monitored by the school to know the vegetables that they plant and how they are being cooked. The eating habits of learners are checked, especially their breakfast. "We integrate that in our curriculum so they would know the nutritional value of foods that they prepare," he said. Aside from nutrition, they also looked into the mental health of learners, how they progress in their blended learning, their relationship with family members, and the time the parents spent with their children during the period when face-to-face classes were not yet allowed. "Parents realized that it is important that they have supervision over their children," Insilada said. Meantime, from the top 10, the top three finalists and the grand winner for the four categories of the World's Best School Prize will be announced in September. Aside from the Supporting Healthy Lives categories, other categories are climate change, collaboration, and innovation. (PNA) }