The Iloilo City Health Office will conduct its annual School-Based Immunization (SBI) activity, also known as “Bakuna Eskwela,” in public schools from October 19 to December 13, 2026, targeting learners in Grades 1, 4, 5 and 7.
Mayette Gabanto, the city’s immunization program coordinator, said during a press conference that the activity is led by the Department of Health in coordination with the Department of Education.
Grade 1 and Grade 7 learners will receive measles-rubella (MR) and tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccines, while female learners in Grade 4 will be given the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to help protect against cervical cancer.
Grade 5 female learners who have not yet received the HPV vaccine will also be targeted.
“For our Grade 4 females, ihatag naton is Human Papillomavirus vaccine for anti-cervical cancer, and sa Grade 5, ang tanan nga estudyante nga wala makabaton sang HPV vaccine, amo na target namon,” Gabanto said.
Private schools interested in participating may submit a letter of intent or coordinate directly with the City Health Office, she added.
The office has yet to determine the total number of learners targeted for this year’s campaign and is currently focusing on information dissemination in schools.
In 2025, the program vaccinated 3,308 Grade 1 learners, 3,489 Grade 7 students and 1,744 Grade 4 learners.IMT
