WHO CARES FOR CANCER CARE?

 WHO CARES FOR CANCER CARE?

Cancer is not just a disease — it is a systemic failure. In the Philippines today, we see this reality drawn in stark numbers: over 180,000 new cancer cases reported yearly, and 466,000 Filipinos living with cancer within the last five years. Every day, we lose more than 300 Filipinos to cancer, according to recent cancer-summit data. 

These are not just statistics — these are lives undone, families saddened, and dreams stunted. What’s worse, these may be conservative figures: many cancer cases among the poor go unreported, uncounted.

Yet, for all this burden, we lack a national cancer institution at par with the Philippine Heart Center for heart disease or the Lung Center of the Philippines for respiratory illness. Instead, cancer care is fragmented. Yes, we have several cancer treatment centers — but none fully symbolizes the unity, capacity, and recognition of a national “cancer hospital.”

At the heart of the nation’s public cancer fight is the PGH Cancer Institute, part of the University of the Philippines-Manila — not under the Department of Health. That distinction matters. Because PGH is funded through the UP education budget, not via the health department, when key funding is cut, there’s no simple line to repair.

Dr. Jorge Ignacio, who led the PGH Cancer Institute for 15 years, has sounded the alarm. In a recent public statement, he described the collapse of the Philippine health-insurance system: “Bagsak na ang health insurance natin … kawawang Pilipinas.” That’s not hyperbole — it’s a tired oncologist’s cry of frustration. He warns that the ₱100 million monthly allowance that PGH once received has reportedly been discontinued under our current administration. Without that, operations suffer.

The consequences fall hardest on the poor: over half of PGH’s 70,000 cancer patients are indigent, and about 40,000 depend on affordable chemotherapy. On average, PGH treats 500 cancer patients daily, many of whom cannot access newer, expensive therapies and are stuck with older, more affordable chemo.

The COVID-19 pandemic made things worse. Dr. Ignacio noted that many patients have deteriorated because they missed treatment, and PGH is bracing for a surge in delayed-care cases.

Even worse, beyond Dr. Ignacio’s warning, we lack public transparency. Has the funding for PGH’s Cancer Institute been restored? Is it covered under “Zero Balance Billing” (ZBB)? Do PhilHealth Z-Benefit packages reliably support cancer care in other hospitals? These are questions the government must answer.

Some efforts are already underway, but are they enough? The National Integrated Cancer Control Act (NICCA), for example, was supposed to expand access and create a Cancer Assistance Fund — yet implementation lags. PhilHealth’s Z-Benefit Package now covers breast cancer up to ₱1.4 million per patient, a big leap from its former cap of ₱100,000. But this is only for certain cancers and accredited hospitals.

Indeed, PhilHealth just reaffirmed its commitment to cancer care when it pledged support for the Philippine Cancer Center, a 20-story comprehensive facility in Quezon City. This could be a game-changer — if implementation is handled with urgency, equity, and transparency.

Beyond policies, we need systems thinking, governance reform, and community empowerment. Here’s what must happen:

1. Appropriate a dedicated cancer-care budget in Congress. Cancer is not an optional health concern. It must be funded like any other national-level public health priority.
   
   

2. Ensure national coordination. We need a centralized cancer center, working in tandem with regional hubs, not a fragmented patchwork.
   
   

3. Expand PhilHealth coverage. Z-Benefit must grow to include more cancers, more hospitals, and more Filipinos. And we should push for true No Balance Billing for poor patients.
   
   

4. Support early detection and prevention. Mobilize community-based cancer screening, host HPV vaccination drives (especially for cervical cancer), and strengthen public health education.
   
   

5. Make cancer care sustainable. Support PPP models like the new UP-PGH Cancer Center — but ensure public oversight, so public services remain public.
   
   

So again I ask: Who cares for cancer care, really? Is it us — ordinary Filipinos, patient groups, doctors — or will we let it be an afterthought? Dr. Ignacio’s warning is not a lament but a call to arms. We must listen, act, and demand accountability. Because cancer does not wait.

RAMON IKE V. SENERES

www.facebook.com/ike.seneres iseneres@yahoo.com senseneres.blogspot.com 09088877282/07-25-2026