Duterte declares Sept. 26 as ‘World Environmental Health Day’

President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law declaring September 26 of every year as “World Environmental Health Day” in the Philippines.

Duterte signed Proclamation 595 on Monday to “raise public awareness on the relationship of health and the environment and promote activities and programs which ensure accountability on health and environmental integrity.”

A copy of the proclamation was only released to media on Wednesday.

Duterte ordered the Inter-Agency Committee on Environmental Health (IACEH), through its lead agencies, the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), to promote the observance of “World Environmental Health Day” in the Philippines, as well as to determine the theme and identify the programs, projects, and activities for its yearly celebration.

September 26 was declared as “World Environmental Health Day” by the International Federation of Environmental Health to be celebrated each year to “promote awareness of pressing environmental health issues, encourage cooperation between countries on areas where environmental health risks and problems cross boarders and transcend boundaries, and stimulate action among stakeholders.”

The President also signed on Monday Proclamation 596 declaring the month of October every year as “National Anti-Piracy Month.”

Under the said proclamation, all government agencies and instrumentalities, including state universities and colleges, as well as local government units, are enjoined to support the programs and activities of the Optical Media Board (OMB), aimed at increasing public awareness on all forms of media piracy or counterfeiting.  /muf