1. Pursuant to DepEd Order No. 10, s. 2016, titled "Policy and Guidelines for the Comprehensive Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Schools (WinS Program)", this Division enjoins all schools to actively participate in the celebration of the 18th Global Handwashing Day on October 15, 2025. 

2. Global Handwashing Day aims to increase awareness and deeper understanding on the importance of handwashing with clean water and soap as an effective and affordable way to promote health, prevent disease, and save lives. 

3. All schools are encouraged to promote the celebration. It is envisioned that healthy habits like proper handwashing shall become a way of life for every Filipino. The following are among the recommended advocacy activities: a. Hanging of advocacy streamers in strategic areas in the school; b. Posting of advocacy or IEC materials on social media; c. Performing hand hygiene activities; and d. Integration of hygiene and sanitation in classroom lectures and activities. 

4. A documentation and pictorial report shall be submitted/uploaded via DepEd Google Drive: https://tinyurl.com/GHWD2025 on or before October 30, 2025. 

5. Please follow the file name format in uploading documentation and pictorial report: Name of School_Handwashing2025 (e.g., JCDJES_Handwashing2025). 

6. Immediate and wide dissemination of this Memorandum to all concerned is desired. 

The Governance and Operations Strand, through the Bureau of Learner Support Services-School Health Division (BLSS-SHD), in collaboration with United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), shall organize this year's celebration of the Global Handwashing Day with the theme, “Be a Handwashing Hero!". This global advocacy is celebrated every 15th day of October and is dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding on the importance of handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives. In line with this celebration, a virtual program will be broadcasted via the DepEd Philippines Facebook Page on October 15, 2025 (Wednesday), 10:00 am - 11:00 am. This activity aims to showcase the best practices of DepEd regions visited during the series of validation activities for the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools (WinS) Program and in promoting a hand hygiene culture among the learners that emphasizes handwashing as a critical public health measure to safe school communities. Also, the said virtual program will highlight selected school jingles from the aforementioned DepEd regions designed for both elementary and secondary learners that demonstrate the importance of clean surroundings and hygienic practices such as, but not limited to, proper handwashing. Further, the importance of using nudges in reinforcing handwashing habits among learners as an important public health strategy shall be emphasized.