THE Bacolod City Council has urged the City Health Office (CHO) to intensify its education and information campaign on pulmonary disease in observance of the Chronic Obstruction Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Awareness Day this Wednesday, November 20.

Cinday Rojas, chairperson of the City Council committee on health, said Presidential Proclamation 501, Series of 2003, declares the third Wednesday of November of every year as COPD Awareness Day.

She said lung disease is one of the top 10 causes of mortality among Filipinos, according to the latest Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data.

She said the Department of Health (DOH) is expected to detect 2.5 million tuberculosis cases this year, since early detection can make a big difference in the successful treatment of the patients.

Rojas noted that Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991 provides that every local government unit shall exercise the powers expressly granted those necessarily implied therefrom, and those which are essential to the promotion of the general welfare.

She said the CHO is the implementing arm of Bacolod City in ensuring that Bacolodnons are accorded with the benefit of having a dynamic and responsive healthcare program.