Pubmat by Adrianne Coloma

by Giana Bacordo

Preventive medicine is founded on a single premise: to mitigate harm before it can occur. Routine deworming, effective in the Philippines since 2016, is part of these efforts, regarded as one of the most risk-free public health interventions for school children. However, when one such procedure is followed by the death of a child, attention shifts to the systems entrusted to administer such solutions and whether the standards governing such care were faithfully upheld. 

On July 2, 2026, a Grade 4 student from Hugo Perez Elementary School-Annex in Trece Martires City, Cavite received a routine deworming medication as part of national efforts against helminth-related infections. Only a day later, unforeseen complications manifested within the child — vomiting and severe discomfort. Despite the boy being rushed to the hospital, the student eventually succumbed to septic shock following an infection, though the exact circumstances and factors surrounding his death remain under investigation.

It is hard to fathom the notion of such an inconspicuous procedure pivoting to such a tragic conclusion. After all, the process of deworming itself is far from dangerous. An individual is administered anthelmintic medications such as Albendazole or Mebendazole, which are used to treat worm infections. Its properties allow for the deprivation of nutrients of any intestinal parasites. Generally, the procedure as a whole is unintrusive, harmless, and commonplace, especially in infection-prone areas.

This has made the tragedy all that much more perplexing. More than that, it raises a multitude of questions: For a routine process such as deworming, how is it that it has suddenly incurred a fatality? What went wrong in the implementation? Who should be held responsible? Already, the parents of a child have called for an investigation into the circumstances of their son’s untimely death.

A web of accountability has already formed. From the Department of Education, which conducts such policies nationwide; to the City Health Office, which oversaw the medical administration of the program; and to the school that implemented the deworming itself, many questions have been raised. It should be established that the process of deworming itself is not at fault in the situation; nonetheless, the incident has exposed potential gaps in systemic implementation that merit closer examination.

System Check

As the probe into the underlying cause behind the student’s death progresses, the Department of Education has begun reviewing its own health and safety policies. Continuously, they have maintained that the “safety and well-being of its learners remain the department’s highest priority,” and that it will not “shirk from its responsibilities and sworn duties.” 

Despite the fact that they’ve asserted their accountability on the matter, it remains insufficient. This response, while important, should not have needed to be prompted; institutional review should be continuous and not reactionary. More important is ensuring that the preventive measures in place are being executed safely enough in accordance with proper implementation procedures. Certainly, it shouldn’t be the case that tragedy has to occur before thorough reforms are pursued.

The incident has placed the actions of the implicated institutions — Perez Elementary School-Annex, the local City Health Office, and DepEd — under heightened scrutiny. Beyond DepEd’s ongoing policy review, the government’s broader health response has come into focus. Despite the incident, the Department of Health maintains that the deworming process remains safe and will not be suspending the program. However, the department has stated that it will be “more vigilant” in its implementation going forward.

Medical Practice in the Philippines

Deworming, as a practice, is relatively harmless. In fact, it is internationally recommended. Due to the fact that some areas of the Philippines meet the WHO infection threshold of 20%, it has been widely implemented for the better part of a decade as a preventive measure for high-risk areas. Their existing policies surrounding the procedure are based on the DepEd Order no. 10 s. 2016, a Deworming Booklet. These vulnerabilities are largely symptomatic, tied to the prevailing poverty-adjacent and sanitation risks in the country.

While it is consistent with wider international efforts against helminth infections, mindful administration should be practiced. Potential complications following the medication include a mild strain to the liver, nausea, vomiting, mild abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, dizziness, and headaches. 

While these side effects occur on a case-by-case basis and are usually not severe, evaluating a child’s current health status should come before administration. Existing vulnerabilities or overlooked medical history may have contributed to the issue. However, this ideal clashes with a distinct Philippine reality: a lack of school clinics. Less than 30% of public schools nationwide lack school clinics, making administration and implementation that much more difficult.

Some schools in the Philippines reportedly face challenges such as insufficient medical supplies, a general lack of healthcare professionals, and inadequate funding. These factors make it difficult to carry out health programs with the level of screening and monitoring they necessitate. Practically speaking, the implementation of nationwide medication initiatives within an already insufficient system of school healthcare may lead to oversights in procedure.

Several students from Hugo Perez Elementary School-Annex have also reportedly fallen ill following the program, raising several concerns regarding local implementation. Most concerningly, Leo Mission, the student’s father, reported that they were “not told that they would have my son [the victim] take the (deworming drug).” Due to this, he had taken the medicine on an empty stomach, which may have exacerbated the side effects he suffered.

Following this tragedy, despite its nature as an otherwise abnormal occurrence, public confidence in school-based health programs has eroded, the public it exists to serve left more suspicious based on the circumstances of the student’s death. After all, evidence-based medicine alone is insufficient if evidence-based implementation fails to follow. Effective action should not only be prompted or followed by tragedy.

In the words of Rutchie Galero, the child’s mother, “Masakit talaga mawalan ng anak.” There is no post-incident response that can make up for the loss that has already occurred. On July 15, 12 days after his untimely death, the Grade 4 pupil, identified only as “Rex,” was finally laid to rest.