“Heneral Luna” star Epy Quizon, together with GlaxoSmithKline and the Philippine College of Chest Physicians (PCCP), are spearheading a new advocacy campaign called #MakeTimeForDad.

The #MakeTimeForDad campaign aims to alert families with a head of the household suffering the COPD disease to make more time for him before it’s too late. COPD, by the way, is a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a progressive lung ailment that makes it hard to breathe. “Progressive” means the disease gets worse over time.

During the launch of the campaign last November 26, 2015 at the Makati Shangrila Hotel, actor/comedian Epy Quizon recalled his dad’s (Dolphy) ordeal with COPD and reminded families who are now experiencing the same battle to allot more time in understanding the disease and spend more time with their fathers.

“Our dad was a fighter. He was our general, our commander-in-chief, so watching him get weaker and trying hard just to catch his breath was very difficult for us. The saddest part of is seeing how your loved one deteriorates and there is nothing you can do,” he said.

In mid-2012, Dolphy was hospitalized and after battling 13 bouts of pneumonia, the Comedy King succumbed to COPD on July 10, 2012 at age 83.

Here are videos of Epy Quizon sharing what their family had gone through when Dolphy was diagnosed with COPD and why it compelled him to spearhead the COPD awareness campaign and the #MakeTimeForDay advocacy:

Learn more about COPD and how the disease affects Filipino households:

“Our dad died because of COPD and we just found out it is actually one of the leading causes of death in the country,” Epy saidd.

“We want to educate people, and make them aware of the disease. We hope this will give them a clearer picture of how the disease affects not only the patient but the entire family,” he added.

The #MakeTimeForDad campaign also encourages family members to upload 30-second videos on Facebook and Instagram, stating a list of things they want to do or wish they could have done with their loved fathers. This would serve as a reminder for them to act now if they feel that their loved ones are at risk for COPD, and value each moment they spend with them.

When uploading your video, kindly include in your caption the hashtag #MakeTimeForDad so more people will get inspired and encouraged by your experience.

Eric Quizon, who was not able to attend the event because of a prior commitment, sent a video message instead:

GSK Medical Director Dr. Gio Barangan encourages people to be more sensitive to the condition of their fathers especially those who smoke and are more prone to develop COPD.

“Do not make the mistake of a lot of patients who usually see their doctors when they are already in the later stages of COPD. It is easy to confuse COPD with other conditions such as smoker’s cough and shortness of breath due to ageing but if your father is a smoker and he begins to experience coughing with phlegm and an unusual breathing pattern, consult a doctor. He may be asked to get a spirometry exam to diagnose COPD,” he said.

To learn more about COPD, visit pinoycopd.com. For updates on the #MakeTimeForDad campaign, like GSK Philippines Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Health.GSK.Ph/

Watch this heartwarming video about COPD and the #MakeTimeForDad campaign: