Cancer advocacy groups expressed their gratitude to President Rodrigo Duterte and legislators of both Houses of Congress, for the signing into law of the National Integrated Cancer Control Act. An alliance of cancer stakeholders have been campaigning for a solid national policy on cancer control that will establish an institutionalized and effective system to address the complex needs of cancer patients all over the country.
The National Integrated Cancer Control Act or now known as Republic Act 11215 is a landmark legislation overwhelmingly passed with the stewardship of Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and his counterpart, House of Representatives Committee on Health Chairperson Rep. Helen Tan.
“What started as a shared vision would not have become a reality, without the consistent and untiring support from the Senate and House Committees on Health leadership,” Cancer Coalition of the Philippines said in a statement.
The law aims to “promote an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which includes strengthening of integrative multidisciplinary, patient, family centered cancer control policies, systems, and services at all levels of the existing healthcare delivery system.”
“The Coalition believes the approval by the President reflects the immeasurable value our country places on persons with cancer of any age, stage, gender, and income bracket,” CCPh added.
Ejercito, also extended his gratitude to the President and various organizations for their support, stating that the timely passage of the law is the best Valentine’s gift to cancer patients and their families, and to millions of Filipinos affected by the economic catastrophic impact of the disease.
According to a recent report from the Philippine Statistics Authority, cancer is the third-most common cause of death for both adults and children in the country. Other health studies also showed projections pointing to an 80 percent increase of cancer incidence in 12 years.
“The Coalition looks forward to working with the Department of Health and other key stakeholders in fleshing out the details of the Implementing Rules and Regulations to ensure that the true spirit of the will be fully operationalized,” CCPh said.
