Stakeholders from the health sector representing the government, legislature, patient groups and health care industry asked Congress to ensure the adequate funding for the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) and National Integrated Cancer Control Acts (NICCA).

“We cannot wait until this pandemic is completely over in order to revive the economy. With public health and the economy in the balance, the way forward is for government to utilize the next year’s budget to reform the country’s health care system, strengthen social protection, and provide the much-needed enabling regulatory environment coupled by transparency and accountability measures,” said Prof. Dindo Manhit, president of Stratbase ADR Institute (ADRi).

The online forum was organized by the ADRi, CitizenWatch Philippines, and Cancer Coalition of the Philippines,

Dr. Clarito U. Cairo Jr., program manager of the National Integrated Cancer Control of the Department of Health, said the 2021 budget proposed for cancer assistance under the NICCA is P542,202,005.40 which has yet to be approved by the Department of Budget Management.

The proposed budget for NICCA will fund the Expanded Breast Cancer Medicines Access Program (P321,609,005.40), Expanded Childhood Cancer Medicines Access Program (P80,000,000), Early Cervical Cancer Detection Access Program Using HPV DNA Test (P28,000,000), and Gynecologic Cancer Medicines Access Program (P20,000,000).

It will also fund the Early Colorectal Cancer Detection Access Program (P16,500,000), Medicines Access Program for Blood Cancers (P49,989,000.00), Thyroid Cancer Treatment and Surveillance Access Program (P1,104,000), and Palliative and Hospice Care Medicines Access Program (P25,000,000).

“If you take the case of a breast cancer patient with HER2-positive subtype which usually require 18 cycles of chemotherapy costing around P500,000, the proposed budget will only treat a little over 1,000 patients. Based on the WHO-International Agency for Research on Cancer, in 2018, the Philippines had recorded 24,798 new breast cancer cases,” said Cairo.

Cairo said that based on DOH 2018 data, “there are 110,000 new cases diagnosed yearly and the death toll from cancer for both adults and children is about 66,000 Filipinos per year. Increasing the budget for cancer assistance will decrease the mortality especially for the poor patients.”

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito and prime proponent of the UHC and NICCA while he was the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health expressed strong support for the full funding and implementation of the law. “I will not allow any delay in the implementation of this law (UHC), since this will be a disservice to the Filipino people. This is a landmark law which should start to benefit all Filipinos,” he said.

“I will also appeal to our former colleagues to support the needed budget of the NICC Act. More than a year since this law was passed, it is now high time to push for its gradual implementation,” said Ejercito.

House Committee on Appropriations Vice Chairman Rep. Paul Ruiz Daza said there are many laws that were passed in the past years that remain to be funded.

Rep. Alfred Vargas of the 5th District of Quezon City said, “I am here to reiterate my undying support to the public health sector.  As one of the principal sponsors of NICCA, we have approached DBM and Speaker Cayetano regarding the funds needed for our costs.”

Paul Perez, president of Cancer Coalition of the Philippines, a nationwide alliance of cancer stakeholders, urged the Department of Budget Management and Congress to ensure that adequate funds are allocated for cancer control as required under Section 32 of the NICC law which states that the amount should be in the General appropriations Act.

“Having this budget line item will secure that cancer funds will be available—as not allocating one may bring about bigger health issues, which will put more pressure on the already overstretched health system,” said Perez.