THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
5 HAY 25 A8 :07 
S E N A T E  
Introduced by SENATOR COMPANERA PIA S. CAYETANO 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill designates the month of February of every year as “National Liver 
Cancer and Hepatitis-B Awareness Month” in order to draw and raise public attention 
and awareness about liver cancer and Hepatitis-B and the urgency to prevent and control 
the disease. 
Hepatitis-B is a serious public health issue in the Philippines where it is highly 
endemic, The country office of the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that around 
60 percent of Filipinos have been infected with HBV, while approximately 10 percent 
have chronic or active Hepatitis-B and are virus carriers. This means that there are 
already around 8 to 10 million Hepatitis-B carriers in our country who shall infect more 
people. 
One of the major infectious diseases of humankind, Hepatitis-B is caused by the 
Hepatitis-B Virus, or HBV, which can be transmitted through blood, sex, shared needles 
and from an infected mother to her newborn during delivery. According to available data, 
there is a 90% chance for pregnant women who are HBV carriers to pass the virus on to 
their newborn at delivery. These children who become infected are more likely to become 
carriers and to develop fatal complications as adults. 
Although most people are infected with Hepatitis-B in infancy or childhood, the 
illness manifests only in adulthood where most deaths occur, as a result of liver cancer 
andlor cirrhosis, both of which are strongly associated with the virus. It is shown that 
around 70% of liver cancer is caused by Hepatitis-B. Statistics further show that liver 
cancer is the 4‘h leading site of cancer for both sexes, ranking 2”d among males and 7‘h 
among females. 
This bill hopes that a comprehensive public education and awareness program on 
. Hepatitis-B and liver cancer will help enlighten people about the disease and stir them 
into action. A focal point of this program is an information campaign about the benefits of 
routine infant immunization within 24 hours of birth, which is compulsory government 
health policy to protect the youngest and most fragile of our population who are most at 
risk, as well as the importance of child and adult vaccination for a holistic approach to 
battling the disease. 
- 
Immediate approval of this bill is thus most earnestly and urgently sought. 
Senat6 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
S E N A T E  
I? 
c.- 
202’7 
REOEIWEO w : 
S.B. No. 
Introduced by SENATOR COMPANERA PIA S. CAYETANO 
AN ACT 
DECLARING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY OF EVERY YEAR AS 
“LIVER CANCER AND HEPATITIS-B AWARENESS MONTH” 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as “The Liver Cancer and 
Hepatitis-B Awareness Month Act.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - In line with the principles and mandates set 
by the Philippine Constitution that “the State shall protect and promote the right to health 
of the people and instill health consciousness among them” (Article 2, Section 15) and 
that “the State shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health 
development” (Article 13, Section II), 
the month of February of every year throughout 
the Philippines shall be known under the name of “Liver Cancer and Hepatitis-6 
Awareness Month.” 
SECTION 3. Public Education and Awareness Program. - To ensure the 
meaningful observance of the month as herein declared, a comprehensive public 
education and awareness program shall be undertaken on the communicable disease of 
Hepatitis-B, which causes around 70% of liver cancers. The program shall specifically 
discuss the causes, transmission, consequences, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of 
Hepatitis-6, including the urgent need for routine and immediate infant immunization, 
which is a compulsory government health policy in order to combat the rapid spread of 
the disease and protect lives, as well as the importance of child and adult vaccination, for 
a holistic approach to battling the virus. 
SECTION 4. Inter-Agency and Multi-Secforal Effort. - The Department of Health 
shall lead in the implementation of the comprehensive public education and awareness 
program on Hepatitis-B and liver cancer through a collaborative inter-agency and multi- 
sectoral effort at all levels. It shall particularly ensure widespread and expeditious public 
information about the benefits of compulsory routine immunization for Hepatitis-B of all 
f
.
 
infants within 24 hours of birth, which is in line with the World Health Organization (WHO) 
prescription for immediate infant immunization in all countries with a high endemic rate of 
Hepatitis-B infections like the Philippines. 
SECTION 5. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,