Cancer treatment has made huge strides over the last years but the disease remains as one of the biggest concerns for Filipinos. The signing of the National Integrated Cancer Control Act (NICCA), which aims to provide comprehensive and accessible cancer care to all Filipinos from all walks of life, has helped immensely in creating a framework in the battle against cancer but gaps still remain that need to be addressed.
During a forum hosted by the Philippine College of Surgeons-Cancer Committee with Cancer Coalition Philippines, in partnership with MSD in the Philippines’ cancer advocacy campaign Hope From Within, experts and stakeholders from different fields discussed current cancer care as well as the challenges people face.
Ms. Carmen Auste, Vice President of Cancer Coalition Philippines, shed light on the barriers cancer patients and their families face in accessing timely and crucial treatments. She highlighted the inability of many Filipinos to afford medical attention, coupled with limited local experts and unavailable treatments, only add to the struggle against cancer.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ralph Degollacion of Healthy Philippines Alliance highlighted the importance of patient representation throughout the governance process, from creating the law and implementation up to feedback.
Mr. Allen Silvano, former councilor of San Juan, proposed that the next step in expanding the implementation of NICCA law is to activate the local governments and bring the law to the barangay level. This would help improve collaboration between the government and the private sector at the grassroots level.
This was echoed by Mr. Orlando Oxales, lead convenor of CitizenWatch Philippines who recognized the need for collaboration between the government and private sectors to address healthcare challenges.
As the speed of medical innovation in oncology continues at an unprecedented pace, it is even more important that patients get a thorough understanding of their condition and are able to discuss treatment options with their physicians. This is the path to shared decision-making and, ultimately, better patient outcomes.
Across all cancer types, survival is a prime measure of patient outcomes, and it is imperative that all cancer patients have access to quality cancer care services to increase their odds of overcoming the disease.
“Cancer is something that you can live with and not die from, but we need all the tools at the disposal of the patients, and this includes the fact that we in the Philippines lag behind in the introduction of new medicines and new treatments,” said Mr. Teodoro Padilla, executive director of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP).
Despite the obstacles, industry stakeholders remain optimistic. Recently, Congress raised the budget to P1.56 billion for two cancer funds under this year’s General Appropriations Act (GAA). The budget will be used for cancer prevention, detection, and treatment, and care pursuant to NICCA and CAF.
With this development, the future looks promising for cancer patients — more Filipinos will have access to cancer care services, and the cancer care gap could potentially be narrowed. This is a significant step forward in the fight against cancer in the Philippines and offers hope for a brighter future.
