The Philippine flag at the Department of Health (DOH-7) was flown at half-staff starting yesterday to pay respect to former health secretary and senator Juan Flavier who died Thursday due to multiple organ failure. He was 79.
Regional Director Dr. Jaime Bernadas said the flag will fly at half-staff until Nov. 5.
“This is a sign of mourning and respect to the late health secretary and senator Flavier,” Dr. Bernadas said.
All regional offices were ordered to lower the flag through a memorandum issued by Health Undersecretary Nemesio T. Gako.
Bernadas said that he was still working for a local government unit (LGU) when Flavier was health secretary from 1992 to 1995.
Flavier initiated the projects including organizing barangay health workers, the “Doctors to the Barrios Project”, that encouraged young physicians to serve in poor villages.
Her projects that Flavier initiated were the “Oplan Alis Disease”, which educated people about preventive rather than curative measures, the “Sangkap Pinoy”, a nationwide campaign against micronutrient malnutrition and the “Yosi Kadiri”, an anti-smoking campaign.
Flavier was born in Tondo, Manila on June 23, 1935 and grew up in Baguio City where he attended his elementary and secondary years.
He attended medical school at the University of the Philippines (UP) where he graduated in 1960.
Flavier won as a senator in 1995 and was reelected in 2007.
He authored and sponsored the Traditional Medicine Law, Poverty Alleviation Law, Clean Air Act, Indigenous People’s Rights Act, Philippine Nursing Act and the Tobacco Regulation Act.