PHA urges full CPR Act enforcement in schools

The Philippine Heart Association (PHA) on Thursday urged the national and local governments to fully implement Republic Act 10871 or the CPR Act in all public and private schools nationwide to equip students with lifesaving skills and help turn them into first responders during emergencies.

The group emphasized that even one trained student can pass on CPR skills to family members—and one trained adult can become a CPR champion in the community.

The CPR Act, which lapsed into law in 2016, mandates basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation training in schools. The PHA has since been commemorating National CPR Day every July 17, a date officially institutionalized by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in March 2024.

“Globally, out of 10 cardiac arrest cases, most likely, only one will survive due to the following factors: lack of emergency responders and absence of an emergency medical system, most especially in developing countries like the Philippines,” said Dr. Don Robespierre “HeartRob” Reyes, Chair of the PHA Council on CPR.

This year’s National CPR Day celebration was held at Nangka High School in Marikina City, PHA’s partner city for the event.

Now on its 10th year, the PHA-led CPR-ReadyPH campaign, launched in 2015, continues to expand its grassroots efforts. With the Department of Health (DOH) as its pioneering partner, the campaign has reached cities, resorts, military camps, hotels, parks, schools, and government institutions like the Senate and media offices.

The 2025 campaign theme, “ZapPinas 2025: First Responder Team, sa CPR Win na Win! CPR Ready Na Ba Ang Barangay Mo?”, signals a wider push to train community-level first responders like teachers, barangay health workers, police, and firefighters.

To capture the milestone, the PHA will reprise “Usapang Puso sa Puso,” a nationwide simultaneous broadcast with live field reports from local government units and recognized training providers, showcasing CPR activities from Luzon to Mindanao.

Prominent figures in entertainment and public service have been instrumental in boosting campaign visibility. Actor-politician Richard Gomez, CPR-ReadyPH ambassador since 2017, continues to lead by example. As mayor, he pushed for Ormoc City to attain CPR-Ready City status in 2019. Now a Congressman, Gomez continues to advocate for CPR training and co-authored the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Bill with Senator Lito Lapid, aiming to install AEDs in public spaces.

Despite a decade of momentum, the PHA stressed that CPR knowledge still remains limited among Filipinos and reiterated that CPR and AED access should be a basic public right, not a privilege.

“The PHA has come relatively far, but it should go farther. CPR and AEDs should not be considered as privileges, but part of the Philippine culture of preparedness which includes putting the Emergency Medical System in place,” the group said.