Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. __ 2960

Introduced by Honorable Anna York P. Bondoc, MD

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to establish a national cancer center in the Province of
Pampanga to be known as Philippine National Cancer Center.

‘This bill is in consonance with the constitutional mandate to promote and
protect the right of the people to health. It is the policy of the State to secure the
well-being of the people by providing them specialized health services.

‘The incidence of cancer in the country has become prevalent curtailing the
enjoyment of normal, active and productive life. Cancer ranks third in the
Philippines as a leading cause of mortality, claiming 103 lives a day or four
persons every hour. The estimated incidence rate is 189 persons per 100,000
Filipinos. One (1) out of five (5) Filipinos is expected to acquire cancer up to the
age of 75. Despite this fact, there is no specialized care for all cancer sites in the
Philippines.

Although there are several specialized hospitals with complete facilities for
cancer patients, the same are concentrated or centralized in Metro Manila
primarily catering the needs of cancer patients in NCR which is one of the regions
with the highest cases of cancer. However, the cancer incidents are not only
prevalent in the NCR. According to the 2004 Philippine Health Statistics, the
other regions with the highest prevalence of reported cases are Regions 3, 1, 6, 7
and 4. Apparently, these regions do not have cancer hospitals with sullicient
equipment and facilities to cater the needs of patients suffering from cancer.

It is imperative that specialized medical services should be provided for
those suffering from cancer. There is also a need to decentralize the hospitals
providing services to these patients particularly in the regions outside Metro
Manila. Given this, the patients will no longer have to travel from their provinces
to Metro Manila to receive treatment and other needed services. The province of
Pampanga is accessible to the patients from the other areas with high prevalence
of cancer incidents. It is strategically located to provide services and address the

cancer cases in the regions with the highest reported cases particularly in Region
3

‘The establishment and maintenance of the cancer center would primarily
benefit the people suffering from cancer and would also further enhance the
noble undertaking of research in cancer, provide a state of the art training of
medical and technical personnel and render specialized medical services for the
prevention, control and treatment of cancer.

In light of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly

sought
Can Uk? fre
ANNA YORK P//BONDOC,


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 2960

Introduced by Honorable Anna York P, Bondoc, MD

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL CANCER CENTER TO BE KNOWN AS
THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL CANCER CENTER AND APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Establishment. There shall be established, under the
supervision of the Department of Health, the Philippine National Cancer
Center in the Province of Pampanga, herein referred to as Cancer Center

The Cancer Center shall be administered by a Board of Trustees, composed of
seven (7) members, to be appointed by the President of the Philippines upon
the recommendation of the Department of Health.

‘The members of the Board of Trustees shall serve for a period of four (4) years
and until their successors shall have been appointed and qualified. Any
vacancy in the Board shall be filled by appointment by the President of the
Philippines upon the recommendation of the Department of Health, and the
appointee shall serve for the unexpired term.

SEC. 2. Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees, as provided for in the
preceding section, shall have the following powers and functions:

1. To elect a Chairman from among them, who shall be the presiding
officer of the Board of Trustees;

2. To appoint a Director of the Cancer Center who shall serve as Vice-
Chairman of the Board;

3. To formulate policies and adopt measures which are necessary to carry
out the provisions of this act;

4. To prescribe, amend, and repeal its by-laws, rules and regulations
governing the manner in which the general business of the Cancer

Center may be conducted and its power exercised; and

To perform such other functions as may be necessary to achieve the

objectives of this Act.

v

The four (4) members of the Board of Trustees shall constitute a quorum and
may transact business. Any decision of such four members on any matter
duly presented to the Board of Trustees shall constitute a valid and binding
act of the Cancer Center


SEC. 3. Director of the Cancer Center. The Cancer Center shall have a
director who shall be its chief executive officer. The director shall have the
following powers and function:

1. To appoint, remove, and fix the compensation of the personnel thereof,
subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees;

2. To prepare the agenda for the meeting of the Board and to submit for
the consideration of the Board, policies and other importance measures;

3. To execute and administer the policies and measures approved by the
Board; and

4, To direct and supervise the internal operations and administration of
the Cancer Center.

SEC. 4. Government Contributions, The Government shall contribute the
necessary land, building, equipment and facilities to the Cancer Center.

SEC. 5. Property of the Center. The Property of the Cancer Center shall
consist of such real, personal, mixed, and other type of property, now owned
or reserve for, or may hereafter be given, donated, acquired, transferred or
conveyed to the Cancer Center by the Philippine Government, its branches
and instrumentalities, any foreign government, as well as by trust,
foundations, corporations, or persons, alien or domestic, in order to carry out
its purposes and objectives as set forth herein.

SEC. 6. Purposes and Objectives. The purposes and objectives of the Cancer
Center are:

1. To construct, establish, operate and maintain a cancer center for the
public welfare, including a specialized cancer hospital;

2. To create awareness of cancer prevention, control and treatment in
the general public, through film showings, lectures, congresses,
conventions, seminars, and conferences;

3. To promote, encourage, engage and assist in scientific research on
the prevention, control and treatment of cancer;

4, To create cancer control programs through the collection and
recording of facts about cancer incidence, and other data;

5. To gather, compile, and publish the findings of scientific researches
for public dissemination;

6. To facilitate and encourage the dissemination and exchange of ideas
and information on the prevention, treatment and control of cancer,
to arouse, enhance and develop public interest on cancer
consciousness or awareness;

7. To develop or support patient care programs and other programs
that would provide pain relief and psycho-social support for the
terminally-ill cancer patient and his family;

8. To encourage and/or undertake the training of physicians, nurses,
medical technicians, health officers and social workers on the
practical and scientific conduct and implementation of cancer
services, and related activities; and

9. To encourage the formation of other organization on the national,
provincial, city, municipal or barangay level and to coordinate their
various efforts and activities for the purpose of achieving a more
effective programmatic approach on the common problems relative to
the objectives herein enumerated; and



10. To extend medical services to the general public, to help prevent,
relieve or alleviate the innumerable afflictions and maladies of the
people specially the poor and less fortunate in life, without regard to
race, creed, color or political belief.

SEC. 7. Powers of the Cancer Center. For the attainment and/or
furtherance of the above purposes and objectives, the Cancer Center, as a
body corporate, acting through its Board of Trustees, shall have all the powers
pertaining to a juridical person, and is therefore authorized, among other
things

1. To acquire and hold in any property of whatever nature or
description, and to dispose of such property under any mode of
encumbrance or conveyance;

2. To contract and be contracted with;

3. To mortgage, lease, sell, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose of its
properties;

4. To solicit and receive donations, endowments and funds in the form
of contributions, whether in cash or in kind, from both the public
and private sectors;

5. To open such accounts in banks and other financial institutions,
and to disburse such funds or invest the same as the Board may
direct to accomplish or advance the purposes or interest of the
Cancer Center;

6. To send the personnel of the Cancer Center to research or medical
institutes or universities for advance training or observation and to
attend international or regional conventions, conferences,
congresses, seminars as the Board may deem necessary to
accomplish the purposes and objectives of the Cancer Center;

7. To adopt a set of by-laws, rules and regulations not inconsistent with
law and the provisions hereof to govern the administration and
operation of the affairs of the Cancer Center; and

8. To do all such other acts and things as are or may be necessary or
incidental for the accomplishment of the purposes and objectives of
the Cancer Center.

SEC. 8. Tax Exemptions. All donations, contributions or endowment that
may be made by entities or persons to the Cancer Center shall be exempt
from income and gift taxes.

‘The Cancer Center shall be exempt from the payment of all taxes, charges and
fees imposed by the Government or any political subdivision or
instrumentality thereof.

SEC. 9. Assistance from government offices. The Cancer Center may call
upon any department, bureau, office, agency or instrumentality of the
Government, including government-owned or controlled corporations, for
such assistance as it may need in the pursuit of its purposes and objectives.

SEC. 10. Appropriations. The amount of eight hundred million for the
structure, equipment and initial operation and maintenance of the Cancer
Center shall be charged to the appropriations for the Department of Health.
Thereafter, such funds as may be necessary for the continued operation and
maintenance of the Cancer Center shall be included in the General
Appropriations Act.


SEC. 11. Auditing. The books and accounts of the Cancer Center shall be
subject to periodic auditing by the duly authorized representative Commission
on Audit.

SEC. 12. Annual Report. The Cancer Center shall render to the Department
of Health an annual report of its activities, accomplishments and
recommendations.

SEC. 13. Effect of Dissolution of the Cancer Center. If for any reason, the
Cancer Center is dissolved, its assets and properties remaining at the time of
dissolution, shall revert to the Philippine Government for disposition in
accordance with law.

SEC. 14. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect upon its approval

Approved.