THE leadership of the House of Representatives on Wednesday vowed to ensure funding for the implementation of Republic Act 11215 or the National Integrated Cancer Control (NICC) Act of 2019 in the 2021 national budget.
Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, in a statement, said the House will push for adequate funding for the NICC law during the bicameral conference on the proposed P4.506-trillion national budget for 2021.
“The importance of this law and its full implementation cannot be overstated. We have to make sure that it is sufficiently funded so it could effectively serve its purpose of strengthening government efforts to combat cancer and increasing the fighting chance of patients to overcome the disease,” Velasco said.
The Department of Health is proposing to the Department of Budget and Management P535 million for the Cancer Assistance Fund.
Velasco shared the sentiments of Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte, who earlier underscored the need for Congress to ensure that the NICC law is adequately funded.
“[We] want to make sure that cancer treatment and care will be more equitable and affordable for all, especially for the underprivileged, poor and marginalized Filipinos as envisioned in the NICC law,” Velasco said, noting that cancer care and treatment could be costly.
Velasco said cancer is one of the leading causes of death and disease in the Philippines, and it could “take a toll on people’s health and finances.”
Citing a study conducted by the University of the Philippines Institute of Human Genetics, Velasco said that 189 of every 100,000 Filipinos are afflicted with cancer while 96 cancer patients die every day.
Velasco said the high cost of cancer diagnosis and treatment could push even high-income families to sudden financial struggle.
According to the Cancer Coalition Philippines, a breast ultrasound—which is but one of many tests for breast cancer—could range from P600 to as high as P3,000 depending on the hospital. A colonoscopy could cost from P1,500 to around P14,000 exclusive of professional fees.
Depending on the type of cancer, chemotherapy cost per session can range from P20,000 to P120,000 or more.
“Certainly, the economic burden of cancer care and treatment is overwhelming and it has the potential to drive Filipino families deeper into poverty,” Velasco said.
The NICC Act, signed into law by President Duterte in February 2019, establishes a National Integrated Cancer Control Program to serve as the framework for all cancer-related activities of the government.
The program aims to decrease the overall mortality and impact of all adult and childhood cancer; lessen the incidence of preventable cancer in adults and children; and prevent cancer recurrence, metastasis and secondary cancer among survivors and people living with cancer.
It also seeks to provide timely access to optimal cancer treatment and care for all cancer patients; make cancer treatment and care more affordable and accessible; improve the experience of cancer treatment and care of patients and families; support the recovery and reintegration to society of the cancer survivors; and eliminate various forms of burden on patients, people living with cancer, survivors and their families.
Earlier, Duterte asked Velasco and House Committee on Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. Eric Yap to ensure that there are enough funds to assist cancer patients.
Duterte, whose mother is a breast cancer survivor and now a breast cancer advocate, cited the need to “prioritize the needs of our fellow country men specially those who don’t have enough income or capabilities to survive their illnesses.”
Image credits: AP