National Cancer Institute of the Philippines pushed

A lady-lawmaker today underscored the urgency of establishing an organized and

sustained specialized care and prevention measures against cancer in the country, before
its too late!
Rep. eorgina !. "e #enecia $%
th
"istrict, !angasinan& is pushing for the creation of
the 'ational (ancer )nstitute of the !hilippines, with regional centers, to provide
centralized planning, programs and activities to arrest the increasing number of cancer
victims in the country.
As contained in *+ ,-.., "e #enecia noted that cancer is the third leading cause of
death in the !hilippines, outranked only by communicable and cardiovascular diseases.
/(ancer is estimated to afflict 012 persons per 0--,--- 3ilipinos. 4tatistics show
that cancer kills 0-5 3ilipinos a day or four 3ilipinos per hour. 6he incidence and
mortality rates of cancer in the !hilippines has been increasing the past three decades and
this trend is e7pected to continue if organized and sustained specialized care and
preventive measures against cancer are not initiated,8 "e #enecia stressed.
6he establishment of regional centers, as provided by *+ ,-.., presents in concrete
form the governments intention to make specialized health services more accessible to
people outside highly urbanized areas like 9etro 9anila and the cities of (ebu and "avao
where cancer treatment is traditionally available, "e #enecia added.
)t should be noted that the *ouse (ommittee on overnment Reorganization, to
which *+ ,-.. has been referred for consideration and action, is also in receipt of four
similar measures seeking to create the !hilippine 'ational (ancer (enter : *+ 0,,;
authored by Rep. 3erdinand 9artin Romualdez< and *+ 0.1, filed by +uhay !arty-list
Reps. 9ariano 9ichael 9. #elarde, =r., =ose >. Atienza, =r., and )rwin (. 6ieng.
Rep. *erminia Roman also filed *+ 5.?; seeking to establish a (ancer 6reatment
(enter in every region in the country and appropriating funds therefor. >ikewise, Rep.
9ark A. #illar is proposing a 'ational (ancer )nstitute of the !hilippines, similar to that
of *+ ,-.. authored by "e #enecia.
/6he establishment and maintenance of the cancer center would primarily benefit
the people suffering from cancer and would also further enhance the noble undertaking of
research in cancer, provide a state-of-the-art training of medical and technical personnel
and render specialized medical services for the prevention, control and treatment of
cancer,8 #elarde, Atienza and 6ieng stressed.
NR # 3626B
OCT. 21, 2014
@n the other hand, Rep. Romualdez $0
st
"istrict, >eyte& said there is an urgent need
to put in place cancer-control health care policies focused on strengthening the health
systems to cope with proAected increases in cancer prevention, detection, treatment and
management needs.
Romualdez noted that in ,--1 appro7imately 0,..-million cancer victims were
diagnosed and ..?-million people died of cancer worldwide.
/9y bill $*+ 0,,;& intends to provide material and financial support towards the
establishment and maintenance of a (ancer (enter to benefit the people,8 Romualdez said.
6he (ommittee on overnment Reorganization could come up with the appropriate
funding provisions, as proposed in the three separate measures, for the establishment and
maintenance of the (ancer )nstitute or (ancer (enter as the case may be. $5-& dpt