Declaring the Third Week of March of Every Year as "Occupational Medicine Week"

March 2, 2022

PROCLAMATION NO. 1316

DECLARING THE THIRD WEEK OF MARCH OF EVERY YEAR AS "OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE WEEK"

WHEREAS, Section 18, Article II of the Constitution declares that the State affirms labor as a primary social economic force, and shall protect and promote the rights of workers and promote their welfare;

WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 11508 or the "Occupational Safety and Health Standards Act," provides that the State shall promote strict but dynamic, inclusive and gender-sensitive measures in the formulation of policies and programs related to occupational safety and health;

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 307 (s. 1987) established the Occupational Safety and Health Center in the Employees' Compensation Commission of the Department of Labor and Employment, with the main function of planning, developing and implementing programs in the field of occupational safety and health, to significantly enhance the productivity of industries, and promote the general well-being and quality of life of Filipino workers;

WHEREAS, Occupational Health, as defined by the World Health Organization, is a multi-disciplinary activity aimed at the protection and promotion of workers by preventing and controlling occupational diseases and accidents;

WHEREAS, Occupational Medicine, being one of the fundamental disciplines of Occupational Health, deals with the assessment of workers' health, working conditions and processes, and management of individual cases in the context of working ability and production;

WHEREAS, the latest available data from the Integrated Survey on Labor and Employment of the Philippine Statistics Authority reflects a total of 38,235 occupational accidents, 46,283 cases of occupational injuries, and 101,851 cases of occupational diseases in 2017 alone; and

WHEREAS, there is a need to promote awareness of the strategies to prevent and control occupational injuries and diseases to reduce work-related disabilities and deaths in the country;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and existing laws, do hereby declare the third week of March of every year as "Occupational Medicine Week."

The Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) in the Employees' Compensation Commission of the Department of Labor and Employment, in coordination with relevant non-government organizations and professional associations, is directed to promote the observance of the Occupational Medicine Week, and identify the programs, projects and activities for the yearly celebration thereof.

All other agencies and instrumentalities of the National Government, including government-owned or -controlled corporations and state universities and colleges, are hereby enjoined, and all local government units, as well as the private sector, are hereby encouraged, to actively participate and render the necessary support and assistance to the OSHC for the effective implementation of this Proclamation.

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 2nd day of March, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Twenty-Two.

 

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 118, No. 11, p. 2476 on March 14, 2022.