MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES
[ Proclamation No. 773, March 28, 1996 ]
DECLARING APRIL 17 AND MAY 15, 1996 AND EVERY THIRD WEDNESDAY OF APRIL AND MAY FROM 1996 TO 2000 AS “KNOCK OUT POLIO” DAYS
WHEREAS, Proclamation No. 147 dated March 3, 1993 which declared National Immunization Days (NIDS) for 1993 to 1995 launched the country in to active involvement to reach the global goal of poliovirus eradication;
WHEREAS, we have achieved a 90% coverage of Oral Polio Vaccination (OPV);
WHEREAS, a decline in the reported polio cases from 15 cases in 1993 to only 10 cases in 1994 has been noted and that no wild poliovirus has yet been isolated in these cases from 1993 until now;
WHEREAS, the Philippines hopes to be certified as a Polio Free country in the next four (4) years;
WHEREAS, to be certified, the Philippines needs to sustain high OPV coverage and good quality surveillance for at least four (4) more years:
WHEREAS, only Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) doses given simultaneously to all children younger than 5 years old can lead to polio eradication;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby:
1. Declare April 17 and May 15, 1996 and every third Wednesday of April and May from 1996 to 2000 as “KNOCK OUT POLIO DAYS”.
2. Designate the Department of Health (DOH) as the lead agency for the “KNOCK OUT POLIO” campaign tasked to formulate the guidelines to ensure the success of this campaign. The Department of Health (DOH) may coordinate with any other government agency, non-government organizations, whether local or international, local government units, civic groups and other concerned sectors for such assistance as may be needed to sustain high OPV coverage and attain good quality Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance.
3. Call on all government and non-government agencies including industries and establishments to strongly encourage their employees to bring their children to the Patak Centers and to allow them to be volunteers during this campaign.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of the Philippines to be affixed.1aшphi1
DONE in the City of Manila, this 28th day of March in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Six.
(Sgd.) FIDEL V. RAMOS
By the President
(Sgd.) RUBEN D. TORRES
Executive Secretary
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