The Level of Compliance of Saint Mary’s University Senior High School Students on the Implementation of the ‘Water Bell’ Policy

Hydration is essential in one’s life as it correlates with all the functions of the human body. This study highlights the importance of hydration in maintaining students’ health, focus, and academic performance, emphasizing that dehydration negatively affects bodily functions and cognitive clarity. To address this, the Nueva Vizcaya School Division implemented the “Water Bell Ordinance,” reminding students to drink water at scheduled times. The ordinance promotes the importance of staying hydrated and fostering responsible, clean, and safe water consumption among learners and faculty in Nueva Vizcaya. However, questions remain about student compliance and the challenges they face. Thus, this study examined the level of compliance of Saint Mary’s University Senior High School students with the Water Bell Policy, which reminds students to drink water at specific times of the day. A total of 320 Grade 11 and 12 students answered an online survey to measure how well they followed the policy and what challenges they experienced. The results showed that students were generally compliant, meaning most of them brought their own water bottles and drank water during the scheduled times. There were no significant differences in compliance when grouped by sex and strand, but Grade 11 students showed slightly higher compliance than Grade 12 students. The common challenges identified were carrying heavy water bottles, inaudible bell sounds, and busy class activities. Despite these issues, many students said the policy helped them stay hydrated and focused. Suggested improvements included adding more water stations, louder bells, and teacher reminders. The study concludes that the Water Bell Policy is effective in promoting healthy hydration habits but still needs stronger support and better implementation.