The Senate has adopted the resolution that seeks to honor the country’s physicians for their invaluable service and sacrifices especially amid the government’s struggle against the COVID-19 pandemic since its outbreak in March 2020.
The Senate adopted Senate Resolution No. 916 on Monday, Sept. 27 which marked the celebration of National Physician’s Day. The measure was introduced by Senators Sonny Angara, Richard Gordon, Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, Nancy Binay, Joel Villanueva and Sherwin Gatchalian.
Angara said the measure recognizes and commends doctors for their bravery in attending to the sick in the ongoing pandemic even if it meant exposing themselves to the deadly coronavirus.
“Our healthcare workers have not only served as vanguards to our health and well-being, they have become beacons of hope—reminding us that through perseverance, commitment, and hardwork, not to mention the proper skills and knowledge—a path out of this pandemic and back to normalcy can be forged,” Angara said in sponsoring the resolution.
The resolution further recognizes that the country’s doctors are now the most vulnerable ones as they serve as the frontliners for almost two years already.
“Physicians make the ultimate sacrifice in this COVID-19 pandemic for both curing the disease and accepting risks each and every day,” they noted.
Thus, Angara said, it is unacceptable that while they are called to serve at the frontlines against COVID-19, “that we do not give them the acknowledgment and the protection they deserve.”
“And that’s why we hope that with the enactment of this resolution comes, not just a reminder to properly honor our physicians and healthcare workers, but also a wake-up call, a call to action,” Angara said.
“It is only fitting that we give them the necessary support that they need to help them face the challenges of their medical profession,” the senator stressed.
The Philippines started commemorating National Physician’s Day in 1978 through the issuance of Presidential Proclamation No. 1789.
The said proclamation describes physicians as professionals that answer the call “for service to humanity regardless of sex, creed, color or nationality.” They are also hailed for playing “a vital role in the development of human society as vanguards of the people’s health and well-being.”