Proclamation No. 258, s. 2002

MALACANANG pws LIBRARY Manila Men (70

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

PROCLAMATION NO. 258

DECLARING EVERY OCTOBER 26 OF THE YEAR AS NATIONAL PUERICULTURE CENTERS’ DAY

WHEREAS, maternal and child care has been the utmost concern of the national government since the early 1900’s;

WHEREAS, the early Filipinos led by Concepcion Felix established the first center for babies and called it Gota de Leche in 1905;

WHEREAS, the Puericulture Center was actually built in 1913 by Dr. Jesus Gavieres;

WHEREAS, Dr. Jose Fabella, father of public health and social welfare, built 329 more Puericulture Centers in the early 1920’s all over the Philippines to combat infant and child birth mortality;

WHEREAS, the National Federation of Women’s Club of the Philippines was tasked by the then Commission on Public Welfare to run the centers as they were not fully funded by the government;

WHEREAS, the Puericulture Centers have greatly reduced infant and child birth mortality; and

WHEREAS, Puericulture Centers are still operating all over the Philippines and are still serving the mothers and babies.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby declare October 26 of every year as “National Puericulture Centers’ Day”.

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

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PGMA Outgoing # 14994

Done in the City of Manila, this igt” day of September , in the year of our Lord, two thousand two.

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ALBERTO G. ROMULO Executive Secretary

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