---

MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

[ Proclamation No. 135, December 10, 2001 ]

DECLARING THE LAUNCHING OF THE “POLIO-FREE MAINTENANCE IMMUNIZATION CAMPAIGN” DURING THE MONTHS OF DECEMBER 2001, FEBRUARY AND MARCH 2002

WHEREAS, Presidential Proclamation No. 147 dated March 3, 1993, which provided for National Immunization Days, and Presidential Proclamation No. 773 dated March 28, 1996 which provided for “Knock Out Polio Days”, were issued in line with the efforts to eradicate Poliomyelitis in the Philippines;

WHEREAS, the last wild Poliomyelitis case in the Philippines was in 1993;

WHEREAS, the Philippines together with 36 other countries in the Western Pacific was certified POLIO-FREE on October 29, 2000 in Kyoto, Japan;

WHEREAS, the Philippines is committed to sustain the POLIO-FREE status until year 2005;

WHEREAS, to sustain the POLIO-FREE status, the Philippines must maintain high Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) coverage and high quality active Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance until the global certification in 2005.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby:

1. Declare the launching of the “Polio-Free Maintenance Immunization Campaign” during the months of December 2001, February and March 2002.

2. Designate the Department of Health (DOH) as the lead agency for the “Polio-Free Maintenance Immunization Campaign” tasked to formulate the guidelines and source out vaccine logistics to ensure the success of the campaign. The DOH shall coordinate with any other agency, non-government organization, whether local or international, local government units, civic groups, and other concerned sectors of society for their support as needed to maintain the Polio-free status of the Philippines, including:

(a) The dissemination of information on the campaign whenever feasible, to gatherings/meetings/conferences.

(b) Sending of paramedical personnel to participate actively in the door-to-door immunization campaign or establish immunization or patak centers in their area during the campaign.1aшphi1

3. Direct each government agency to designate an anchorperson to coordinate with the DOH and to oversee the “Polio-Free Maintenance Immunization Campaign” at the national and local levels.

4. Call on all sectors of society to have all children below five (5) years old receive Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) either at their homes or at the nearest Patak Centers in their community on the following dates:

Round 1: February 2 to 8, 2002, and

Round 2: March 2 to 8, 2002

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of the Philippines to be affixed.

Done in the City of Manila, this 10th day of December, in the year of Our Lord, two thousand and one.

(Sgd.) GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO

By the President:

(Sgd.) ALBERTO G. ROMULO
Executive Secretary

The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation

---