Although February has a special day dedicated to hearts, every day of the month is also a day for the heart. Philippine Heart Month is celebrated every year in February according to Proclamation No. 1096, which was adopted on January 9, 1973. The declaration aims to raise awareness of heart disease among Filipinos as a critical and developing health problem. In other words, this is the time of year when we should be most mindful of the health of our hearts and anything that may harm them.
Cardiovascular health is a problem that may not seem important until it affects you personally, but it is growing more widespread. Cardiovascular disease or CVD refers to a class of disorders that affect the heart and the blood arteries related to it. In fact, these diseases are to blame for 17.5 million annual deaths, a startling number.
What can you do to celebrate Heart Month?
Can you participate in Heart Month celebrations as well? most definitely! Of course, the first step is to follow the DOH's recommendation and reduce all the reversible risk factors for heart disease. That entails quitting smoking, overcoming obesity and inactivity, and other such things. However, personal health is just the start. Making sure that more people are aware of the things they can take to prevent CVD is the goal of Heart Month. This is why you should participate in initiatives that raise public awareness of cardiovascular health for all people as part of your Heart Month celebrations. There are many other social media platforms to test, but Facebook and others are where you may engage with its community. Even just educating individuals in your circles about Heart Month and why they should be concerned can help. Do your bit to raise awareness by logging into your social media sites right away! Who knows—you could wind up rescuing the heart of someone who already loves you or someone you already adore in the process.
Let's all open our hearts in February in honor of Philippine Heart Month! To all of your loved ones, support cardiovascular health by raising awareness. Let's also express our own hearts’ love by living a healthy lifestyle that includes eating well, exercising, and avoiding bad habits and fatty foods.
PDO I Ayesa Gay A. Bejerano, RND
References:
Proclamation No. 1096, s. 1973
https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1973/01/09/proclamation-no-1096-s-1973/
Philippine Heart Month
https://www.healthypilipinas.ph/events/philippine-heart-month
Heart Checkup and All You Need to Know
https://manhattancardiology.com/heart-checkup-all-you-need-know/
Heart failure a growing threat to Filipinos
https://business.inquirer.net/208759/heart-failure-a-growing-threat-to-filipinos
