After assessing which behavioral changes consistently help in alleviating the negative impact of the current global health crisis, the Department of Health came up with a campaign that encapsulates the sound recommendations of health professionals in one Filipino word—''B.I.D.A.''

BIDA Solusyon sa COVID-19 , a campaign in collaboration between the government, private sector, and development partners, aims to educate and empower Filipinos to join the fight against the pandemic through preventive practices such as hygiene education and habit formation. The program communicates that every Filipino be a hero and participate in the solution to help prevent infection or transmission of the virus by promoting the four BIDA preventive behaviors.

''BIDA'' is an acronym that represents habits anyone can do and should be responsible for to prevent the spread of the virus. It is a play on words that each Filipino can be a hero and ''Be The'' solution by practicing the following:

B - ''Bawal Walang Mask'' (Not wearing mask is prohibited)
I - ''I-sanitize ang Kamay at Bahay'' (Sanitize your hands and avoid touching things)
D - ''Dumistansya ng Isang Metro'' (Practice social distancing and always stand one meter away)
A - ''Alamin ang Totoong Impormasyon'' (Get your news only from reliable sources)

DOH has partnered with leading consumer goods company, P&G Philippines, which is supporting the BIDA Solusyon program by contributing its trusted brands, expertise, reach, and networks to create massive awareness about safe and healthy practices to help protect Filipino families and their homes. This is line with P&G's primary mission of providing trusted and reliable essential health, hygiene and cleaning products for Filipino consumers. Their brands such as Safeguard, Ariel, Joy and Head & Shoulders have superior and clinically proven cleaning benefits that serve the needs of millions of consumers daily.

P&G has created educational media materials like a BIDA song and music video and BIDA hygiene information videos—that will highlight the ''I'' in the BIDA acronym, 'I-sanitize' ang Kamay at Bahay, to teach four crucial habits including handwashing with soap for 20 seconds (''Maghugas ng kamay gamit ang sabon ng 20 segundo''), bathing as soon as one gets home (''Maligo agad pagkauwi''), separating used clothes and washing them immediately (''Ihiwalay at labhan agad ang panlabas na damit''), and cleaning the kitchen and dishes (''Linisin lagi ang kusina at mga pinggan na pinagkainan at pinaglutuan''). These will be amplified on multi-media in the coming weeks.

P&G is also donating trusted health and hygiene products like Safeguard soap, Joy dishwashing liquid, Ariel detergent and Head & Shoulders shampoo to make 70,000 BIDA home kits. P&G and the DOH partnered with USAID (United States Agency for International Development) to distribute the BIDA home kits to vulnerable families from communities that are highly-susceptible to the virus, citizens located in the pandemic hotspots and quarantine centers, locally stranded individuals, and displaced persons in temporary shelters.

Furthermore, P&G also created DOH BIDA Hygiene Solution Centers — located in 96 supermarket branches of partner retailers across the nation, which will reach four million Filipinos daily with the DOH's BIDA Solusyon education materials. The BIDA hygiene solution centers provide an easier and more convenient store experience for shoppers to get all their home hygiene products in one central area, while also helping the store situation where having a limited number of shoppers in-store at a time results in long waiting lines.

As the country balances reopening the economy, and communities continue to fight the spread of the virus, there is a need to drive behavioral change education and communication among Filipinos.

It is each one's responsibility to keep our respective homes and families safe and healthy—especially vulnerable members like the elderly, pregnant, and young children—contributes to building a safe nation. By following the BIDA Solusyon preventive behaviors, we can all help stem the transmission of the virus in our communities and win against this pandemic.

To learn more about the BIDA Solusyon program, and its upcoming education videos, you may follow and subscribe to the Facebook pages of BIDA Solusyon, the DOH, P&G, Safeguard, Ariel, Joy, and Head & Shoulders.