Marcos proclaims July 17 as National CPR Day

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has declared July 17 of every year as National Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Day, citing the need to create awareness of the importance of knowing how to respond to health emergencies.

Proclamation 511 signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin by authority of Marcos last March 27 directed the health department to lead the planning, preparing, coordinating, organizing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating of programs for the annual observance.

Marcos noted that cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a lifesaving technique useful in many emergencies, including heart attack or near drowning.

“There is a need to instill and continuously promote health consciousness among Filipinos by equipping them with the necessary information, knowledge, behavior and skills to respond to health emergencies, including bringing CPR in every home as an emergency procedure,” he said.

The President instructed all state agencies and instrumentalities to actively participate in the observance while non-government organizations and the private sectors were encouraged to do the same.

The National Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Day will be observed on the same day Republic Act No. 10871 or the Basic Life Support Training in Schools Act became a law.

Also known as the Samboy Lim Law, the Basic Life Support Training in Schools Act lapsed into law on July 17, 2016. It states that all public and private basic education schools nationwide have the duty to provide their students with basic life support training through the use of psychomotor training in an age-appropriate manner.

The measure was given the nickname Samboy Lim Law in honor of former PBA player Avelino “Samboy” Lim, who collapsed while stretching during an exhibition game in Pasig in 2014.