By Ellson Quismorio
The House Committee on Health has approved several bills for the construction of a national cancer center in support of the National Integrated Cancer Control Bill now awaiting the signature of President Rodrigo Duterte.
(EPA / MANILA BULLETIN)
Davao Oriental 2nd district Rep. Joel Mayo Almario, author of House Bill (H.B.) 7910--one of the seven bills that received the nod of committee members during the deliberations--urged the use of an available space behind the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP) for the envisioned cancer center.
“The proposed cancer center, to be called the National Cancer Center of the Philippines, should be constructed beside the Lung Center of the Philippines because aside from its central location in Metro Manila and its proximity to the four other national specialty hospitals, the land is vacant and has been utilized only as a parking lot since the former LCP wing was razed by fire in the 1990s,” said Almario.
The solon explained that cancer patients usually go to the four specialty hospitals under the Department of Health (DOH) namely, the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP), the Philippine Heart Center, the National Kidney and Transplant Institute and the Philippine Children’s Medical Hospital (PCMH) as there is currently no hospital primarily focused and specializing on the treatment of cancer per se.
Those who have the money often resort to flying abroad for cancer treatment, the Mindanao lawmaker noted.
Pertaining to a proposal-letter from Doctors Antonio Ramos, Sergio Andres Jr., Teresa Alcantara, and Jose Luis Danguilan--practicing doctors at the LCP--Almario stated that “these concerned doctors already gave us an exact location and even the exact amount needed to construct the cancer center."
“I urge House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to include the initial outlay of P292 million for the design and engineering plans of the proposed national cancer center in the 2019 General Appropriations Act (GAA) under the Department of Health or Department of Public Works and Highway’s (DPWH) budget,” Almario said.
The proposed P3.757-trillion GAA is still pending before the Bicameral Conference Committee.
Statistics show that one in every 10 registered deaths in the country is attributable to cancer. Since 2010, cancer has been ranked third in the list of Top 10 leading causes of adult mortality and morbidity, and ranked fourth for child mortality and morbidity.
There are said to be seven Filipinos dying from cancer every hour, and this excludes deaths from childhood cancer.
(EPA / MANILA BULLETIN)
Davao Oriental 2nd district Rep. Joel Mayo Almario, author of House Bill (H.B.) 7910--one of the seven bills that received the nod of committee members during the deliberations--urged the use of an available space behind the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP) for the envisioned cancer center.
“The proposed cancer center, to be called the National Cancer Center of the Philippines, should be constructed beside the Lung Center of the Philippines because aside from its central location in Metro Manila and its proximity to the four other national specialty hospitals, the land is vacant and has been utilized only as a parking lot since the former LCP wing was razed by fire in the 1990s,” said Almario.
The solon explained that cancer patients usually go to the four specialty hospitals under the Department of Health (DOH) namely, the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP), the Philippine Heart Center, the National Kidney and Transplant Institute and the Philippine Children’s Medical Hospital (PCMH) as there is currently no hospital primarily focused and specializing on the treatment of cancer per se.
Those who have the money often resort to flying abroad for cancer treatment, the Mindanao lawmaker noted.
Pertaining to a proposal-letter from Doctors Antonio Ramos, Sergio Andres Jr., Teresa Alcantara, and Jose Luis Danguilan--practicing doctors at the LCP--Almario stated that “these concerned doctors already gave us an exact location and even the exact amount needed to construct the cancer center."
“I urge House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to include the initial outlay of P292 million for the design and engineering plans of the proposed national cancer center in the 2019 General Appropriations Act (GAA) under the Department of Health or Department of Public Works and Highway’s (DPWH) budget,” Almario said.
The proposed P3.757-trillion GAA is still pending before the Bicameral Conference Committee.
Statistics show that one in every 10 registered deaths in the country is attributable to cancer. Since 2010, cancer has been ranked third in the list of Top 10 leading causes of adult mortality and morbidity, and ranked fourth for child mortality and morbidity.
There are said to be seven Filipinos dying from cancer every hour, and this excludes deaths from childhood cancer.