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WHEREAS, there has been a reported increase in the incidence of preventable diseases in Asia and in the country;

WHEREAS, there is a need to undertake more health promotion and disease preventive measures;

WHEREAS, health promotion must involve all people and all places at all times requiring concerted and collaborative efforts among the various national and local government agencies as well as the private sector;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby direct the following:

SECTION 1. Establishment of the Philippine Health Promotion Program Through Healthy Places. A national multi-sectoral health promotion strategy which aims to communicate health messages and build health supportive environment through advocacy, networking and community action, to be known as the Philippine Health Promotion Program Through Healthy Places, is hereby established.

SEC. 2. Goal and Objectives. The program’s goal shall be a Healthy Philippines by the year 2000, with the following objectives:

a.	Identify strategic health messages and maximize their communication to the people;
b.	Promote these health messages in partnership with organized groups and different sectors through multi-sectoral action, networking and inter-sectoral linkages;
c.	Increase awareness and understanding of the interaction between health, environment and development as these apply to different places and context; and
d.	Identify and address the socio-cultural, environmental, religious and ethnic factors that bring about poor health and advocate for true social reforms particularly among the disadvantaged groups.

SEC. 3. Strategy. Social mobilization for health promotion shall be the key strategy of the program. This shall involve advocacy, networking, information, education and communication (IEC), capability building, community organization, monitoring and evaluation.

SEC. 4. The Department of Health as Lead Agency. The Department of Health shall be the lead agency for the program. As the lead agency, the Department of Health shall formulate a comprehensive, continuing and integral plan of action and manual of operations for a health promotion program containing the rationale, objectives, target clientele, indicators and standards/checklists.

SEC. 5. Role of the Local Government Units and Involvement of NGOs, POs, and Private Sector. The local government units, in coordination with concerned agencies, shall ensure continued promotion of strategic health messages in key settings in provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays. Through multi-sectoral consultations, advocacy, networking, capability building and community action, they shall also be responsible in building and sustaining a health supportive environment based on the standard health indicators for each key setting.

SEC. 6. Key Settings. The program shall work through key settings or “Healthy Places” which shall include homes, schools, workplaces, vehicles, streets/bus stations, eating places, hospitals, hotels, markets, moviehouses, rest rooms, ports, prisons, and resorts.

SEC. 7. Recognition and Awards. The Barangay Technical Working Group, as created under Section 8 hereof, shall give due recognition to the key settings which receive the highest rating in accordance with the basic indicators enumerated in Section 9 hereof.

A separate recognition shall be given to the outstanding region, provinces, municipalities, cities and barangays which have distinguished themselves by receiving the highest rating in their category, in accordance with the 14 basic indicators enumerated in Section 9 hereof.

SEC. 8. Creation of Technical Working Groups. There is hereby created the following Technical Working Groups with their respective compositions:

I.	National Technical Working Group (NTWG). The NTWG shall be composed of the following:
	A.	Government Agencies:
		Department of Health, National Intra-Sectoral Committee, from which the Chairman shall be appointed by the Secretary of Health
		A representative from each of the following departments:
			a) Department of Interior and Local Government
			b) Department of Education, Culture and Sports
			c) Department of Environment and Natural Resources
			d) Department of Tourism
			e) Department of Labor and Employment
			f) Department of Trade and Industry
	B.	Private Sector
		A representative each from a non-government organization, private/business sector, people’s organization, professional group, civic/religious group and the media, to be appointed by the Secretary of Health upon the recommendation of the Chairman of the NTWG
II.	Regional Technical Working Group (RTWG). The RTWG shall be composed of the following:
	A.	Government Agencies:
		Department of Health, Regional Intra-Sectoral Committee, from which the Chairman shall be designated by Regional Director of the Department of Health
		A representative from each of the following department’s regional offices:
			a) Department of Interior and Local Government
			b) Department of Education, Culture and Sports
			c) Department of Environment and Natural Resources
			d) Department of Tourism
			e) Department of Labor and Employment
			f) Department of Trade and Industry
	B.	Private Sector
		A representative each from non-government organization, private/business sector, people’s organization, professional group, civic/religious group and the media, to be appointed by the concerned Regional Director, Department of Health upon the recommendation of the Chairman of the RTWG
III.	Provincial Technical Working Group (PTWG). The PTWG shall be composed of the following:
	A.	Provincial Governor or his/her duly authorized representative
	B.	A representative each from non-government organization, private/business sector, people’s organization and civic/religious group, to be appointed by the provincial governor upon the recommendation of the provincial health officer.
IV.	Municipal/City Technical Working Group (M/CTWG). The M/CTWG shall be composed of the following:
	A.	Municipal or City Mayor or his/her duly authorized representative
	B.	A representative each from non-government organization, private/business sector, people’s organization and civic/religious group, to be appointed by the provincial governor upon the recommendation of the provincial health officer.
V.	Barangay Technical Working Group (BTWG). The BTWG shall be composed of the following:
	A.	The Barangay Chairman
	B.	A representative each from people’s organization and civic/religious group

SEC. 9. Functions. The Technical Working Groups shall discharge the following functions:

a.	implement the objectives set forth in Section 2 of this order; and
b.	evaluate the contenders in their areas of jurisdiction and confer the “Most Healthy Award”.

SEC. 10. Criteria for Judgment. The place shall be judged as “healthy”, based on the following 14 basic indicators:

a)	Percentage of households with access to safe and adequate drinking water;
b)	Percentage of households using sanitary toilets;
c)	Presence and maintenance of provincial/city/municipal/ barangay waste collection and disposal system (waste management);
d)	Percentage of food establishments with rating of Satisfactory (S), Very Satisfactory (VS), and Excellent (E);
e)	Safety Environment
	– presence of appropriate danger and road signs;
	– incidence of vehicular traffic accidents;
	– fire incidence;
	– crime rate;
f)	Non-Pollution of the environment
	– percentage of factories accredited by the National Pollution Control Commission (NPCC) and with certificate issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR);
	– percentage of non-smoke belching vehicles;
	– meets water quality standards of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of DENR (rivers, streams, canals, etc.);
	– absence of garbage litters in public places;
g)	Availability of health services
	– ratio of health personnel with the population;
	– availability of health facilities and supplies;
h)	Health practices
	– percentage of fully-immunized children;
	– percentage of breastfeeding mothers;
i)	Presence of health and environment-friendly livelihood programs;
j)	Nutritional status of the population with attention to the percentage of moderate and severe malnutrition among 0-5 age group;
k)	Morbidity and mortality rate of diseases;
l)	Provision of services to the elderly (ages over 60 years) and the handicapped;
m)	Presence of insect and vermin control measures;
o)	Preservation of trees and ornamental plant gardens along roads, pathways, parks, etc.

SEC. 11. Funding. The funds necessary for the implementation of the Program shall be sourced from the Comprehensive Health Care Agreement between local government units and the Department of Health.

SEC. 12. Submission of Regular Reports. The Department of Health shall submit regular reports to the Office of the President on the status of the implementation of the Program.

SEC. 13. Participation in Program. All departments and agencies of the government, as well as all local government units, are hereby directed to actively participate in the Program, using all channels of communication available to ensure widest dissemination of health messages. They are further ordered to integrate the program into existing health and environment-related programs. Finally, all multi-sectoral groups are enjoined to participate in the implementation of the program.

SEC. 14. Effectivity. This Administrative Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 11th day of June, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Seven.

(Sgd.) FIDEL V. RAMOS
President of the Philippines

By the President:
(Sgd.) RUBEN D. TORRES
Executive Secretary