FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHKIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
A 
Introduced by Senator Antonio “Sonny” F. Trillanes J3’ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women in the country, next to breast 
cancer. According to the 2005 Philippine Cancer Facts and Estimates, 7, 277 new cases and 
3,807 deaths due to cervical cancer were estimated to have occurred. This means that there were 
approximately ten (10) Filipino women dying each day due to cervical cancer. This is mainly due 
to late detection and lack of awareness of the disease among Filipino women. 
As with all 
cancers in developing countries, cervical cancer ‘is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage. This 
is in part because of the paucity of effective screening programs.* 
It is in this light that this bill seeks to create a breast and cervical cancer diagnostic and treatment 
fund which shall provide financial assistance for the medical care of indigent patients. The bill 
provides for the composition and administration of the fund, the covered services, eligibility of 
patients, and the dispersement of funds. It is hoped that this measure would alleviate the struggle 
of women and their families who have to cope with the life threatening disease. Moreover, as a 
proactive measure, it seeks to encourage women to undergo screening to protect them from the 
same. 
In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this measure is earnestly sought 
 ANT^^ “SONNY” F. TRILLANES IV 
Senator 
___________ 
’Information retrieved from: ~ ~ . d o h . p o v . p h / I l o d e / I 9 7 2 .  
Retiieved on 25 November 2008. 
’Information 
retrieved 
from: 
~://72.14.235.132/custom?q=cache:D983~1- 
64J:www.~ath,org/ftles/RH 
suoportinn women iid.pdf+cervical+cancer+treatment+fund+beneficm 
clnk&cd=3&client=oub-8993703457585266. Retrieved on 
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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Second Regular Session 
1 
E3 
UEC' 15 /\!! 
SENATE 
Introduced by Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR A NATIONAL CERVICAL CANCER DIAGNOSTIC AND 
TREATMENT FUND 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Represcntatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled. 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "National Cervical Cancer 
Diagnostic and Treatment Fund Program. '' 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to protect and promote the 
right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them. 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this article: 
1, "Fund" means the breast and cervical cancer diagnostic and treatment fund, 
2. "Qualified applicant" means a female who meets the financial and medical eligibility 
guidelines of this Act pursuant to Article 5 hereof 
3, "Provider" means a physician, hospital or medical provider currently licensed under 
the state. 
SEC. 4. Establishment of Cervical Cancer Diagnostic and Treatment Fund - There is 
hereby established a cervical cancer diagnostic and treatment fimd which shall provide financial 
assistance for the medical care of indigent patients for diagnostic and treatment services for 
breast and cervical cancer. 
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The fund shall be comprised of money appropriated to the fund by the Legislature, 
allocated to the fund by the national government and all other sums designated for deposit in the 
fund from any source, public or private. 
The fund shall be administered by the University of the Philippines - Department of 
Health Cervical Cancer Screening Research Group (hereinafter referred to as the UP-DOH 
CCSRG). 
SEC. 5. Covered Services. -The Secretary of the DOH shall appoint a committee of four 
physicians from the UP-DOH CCSRG to promulgate the rules and regulations for the 
administration of the fund. 
The committee shall include one physician whose specialty is gynecological oncology, 
one physician whose specialty is surgery, one physician whose specialty is radiology and one 
physician whose specialty is pathology. 
Responsibilities of the committee include, but are not limited to, the following: 
1. Establishing a list of covered services approvedfor payment through the fund - 
Covered services include diagnostic and treatment services for cervical cancer or a 
condition suggestive of cancer. An ancillary diagnostic study may be authorized only 
when it is determined by the UP-DOH CCSRG to be directly related to the confirmation 
of a diagnosis of cancer or is necessary for treatment planning; 
2. Setting a limitation on days of service covered by the fund. - The PGH shall authorize 
the number of days for reimbursement based on the medical condition of the patient and 
the procedure to be performed; and 
3. 
treatment services covered by the fund. 
Reviewing requests and providing authorization for payment of diagnostic or 
SEC. 6. Patient EZigibifiQ. - To be eligible for assistance in payment of services under 
the fund, the following conditions shall be met: 
1. 
The patient is not eligible for nor covered by medical insurance other than the 
Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (hereinafter referred to as PhilHealth); and 


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2. 
The patient's income must be at or below the National Poverty Threshold or 
Poverty Line based on the data provided by the National Statistical Coordination Board 
(NCSB); and 
3. 
The patient has a condition clinically indicative of cancer that requires diagnostic 
services to confirm the preliminary diagnosis and only those services determined to be 
medically necessary for that diagnostic confirmation may be authorized by the committee 
for payment from the fund; or 
4. 
and is requesting payment of treatment services by the fund. 
The patient has received diagnostic confirmation through a positive pathology report 
SEC. 7. Application Process. - The PGH shall develop authorization request forms and 
make the forms available to the provider upon request. 
An application for inpatient diagnostic services shall be accompanied by a written, signed 
statement from the attending physician which includes the medical basis for required inpatient 
services and explains why the services may not be performed on an outpatient basis. 
SEC. 8. Reimbursement Process. - The fund is the payor of last resort. Payment for 
procedures shall be made at the current rate established by PhilHealth. 
A claim for authorized services rendered shall be processed in accordance with rules 
promulgated by the UP-DOH CCSRG. 
Approved, 
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