WHEREAS, the Philippines was once declared as the most goitrous country in Asia;

WHEREAS, the Philippines is presently classified by the World Health Organization as a nation in transition from being iodine-deficient to iodine sufficient:

WHEREAS, iodine deficiency is a spectrum of diseases ranging from goiter, hypothyroidism, mental deficiency, physical deformities, cretinism and reproductive failures among susceptible individuals, families and communities;

WHEREAS, goiter is the most common manifestation of iodine deficiency and 5% prevalence of goiter among schoolchildren indicates that there is a problem of iodine deficiency;

WHEREAS, iodine deficiency is brought about by inadequate intake of rich foods:

WHEREAS, the existing body of knowledge on the prevention of goiter other thyroid disorders requires a sustained information and education of the population;

WHEREAS, the timely, accurate and documented diagnosis of goiter and other thyroid diseases entails extensive modalities which oftentimes are not even accessible to those who are afflicted especially the poor and the marginalized;

WHEREAS, the treatment of goiter and other thyroid disorders involves either duration of medicinal administration, or reliable surgical interventions, or capable of nuclear expertise, all of which maybe beyond the reached ordinary patients because of the accumulated costs, inaccessibility, or lack of essential technical skills and expertise of health care providers;

WHEREAS, the prevention and long-term solution of iodine deficiency can be brought about by information dissemination, education and training, research and preventive measures like the use of iodized salt adopted early enough to forestall frank clinical manifestations and disabilities.

NOW, THEREFORE, l, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby:

1. Declare every fourth week of January as Goiter Awareness Week,
   
   
2. Designate the Department of Health as the lead agency for the Goiter Awareness Week and shall coordinate with the Philippine Thyroid Association (PTA), Philippine Society of Nuclear Medicine (PSNM), Philippine Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (PSEM), International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD - Philippines and other relevant stakeholders for the formulation of guidelines and logistics to ensure the success of the yearly event to include the dissemination of information whenever wherever feasible.

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 11th day of December, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Six.

By the President:

(Sgd.) EDUARDO R. ERMITA
Executive Secretary