Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOusEBi-LL-No.     5898
Introduced by: Hon.  Keith  Micah  "Atty.  Mike" D.L. Tan
AN ACT
APPROPRIATING THE AMOUNT OF ONE BILLION PESOS (PHP1,000,000,000.00) FOR THE
CANCER ASSISTANCE FUND UNDER REPUBLIC ACT NO.11215, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE
"NATIONAL INTEGRATED CANCER CONTROL ACT", TO SuPPORT THE CANCER MEDICINE AND
TREATMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
EXPIANATORY NOTE
Section  11,  Article  Xlll  of the  1987  Constitution  of the  Philippines  provides  that,  "The
State  shall  adopt  an  integrated  and  comprehensive  approach  to  health  development  which
shall  endeavor  to  make  essential  goods,  health  and  other  social  services  available  to  all  the
people  at  affordable  cost.  There  shall  be  priority  for  the  needs  of  the  underprivileged  sick,
elderly, disabled, women, and children. The State shall endeavor to provide free medical care to
paupers."
Cancer  has  become  a  serious  public  health  issue,  which  claims thousands  of lives  each
year.  It  has  likewise  become  a  serious  economic  burden, the treatment  of which  amounts to
several billions of pesos in healthcare and treatment cost.
In  the  Philippines,  cancer  is the fourth  leading cause  of death  following ischemic  heart
diseases, cerebrovascular diseases,  and deaths due to the COVID-19 virus in 2021. According to
the  Cancer  Coalition  of  the  Philippines,  cancer  patients  who  contract  the  COVID-19  virus  is
sixteen (16) times more critical than COVID-19 patients without cancer[.
The incidence and mortality rate of cancer in the country has been increasing in the past
three decades. This trend  is expected to continue if organized  and sustained specialized cancer
treatment is not initiated.
The cost of chemotherapy and radiation treatments for cancer patients may range from
Php20,000 to  Phpl20,000  per  session  depending  on  the type  po  cancer.  The  examination  by
Magnetic Resonance lmaging (MRI) is burdensome even to middle-income patients, what more
to the poor patients. This is why cancer has gained a reputation as the disease for the rich even
though it can afflict anybody regardless of economic status.
Republic  Act  No.   11215  or  the   National   Integrated   Cancer  Control  Act  (NICCA)  was
signed   into  law  in   2019  to  prevent  cancer  and   improve  cancer  survivorship   by  scaling  up
programs and  investments for better and  accurate screening,  detection,  diagnosis, treatment,
care and rehabilitation. It aims to make cancer treatment and care more affordable.
The   law   provides   for   a   Cancer   Assistance   Fund   (CAF)   but   no   amount   has   been
Lhttps:;'/mb.com.ph/2022/02/14/chiz-urges-doh-to-make-sure-cancerlfund-goes-to-patiQn!_s=_I_|Q±
diverted/ Accessed on October 17, 2022


specifically allocated for lt and relies on fund raising activities, donations and solicitations.
Although  .recently,   the   Department   of   Budget   and   Management   (DBM)   and   the
Department  of Health  (DOH)  have  released  the Joint  Memorandum  Circular  (JMC)  No.  2022  -
0002  prescribing the  lmplementing Guidelines for the  Use of CAF amounting to  P529.2  million,
the  said  fund  shall  be  available  for  utilization  only  until  December  31,  2023  in  line  with  the
adoption  of the  cash-based  budgeting  system  and  subject  to  applicable  general  and  special
provisions under the FY 2022 GAA and other existing budgetary guidelines issued by the DBM.2
The fund  was anchored on  Special  Provisions  (SP)  No.  13 of the  DOH  budget  under the
2022 General Appropriations Act (GAA), which  requires, among others, the issuance of the JMC
as a pre-requisite for the utilization of the fund. This is pursuant to the  NICCA law, which seeks
to provide an integrated and holistic support to cancer treatment and management.
The  CAF  aims  to  complement  and  supplement  existing  financial  support  mechanisms
exclusive for cancer patients,  persons living with cancer,  and cancer survivors.  Pursuant to the
JMC,  which  was  released  on  28  September  2022,  the  CAF  shall  likewise  fund  outpatient  and
inpatient   cancer   control   services,    including   but   not   limited   to   diagnostics,   therapeutic
procedures,  and other cancer medicines needed for the treatment and  management of cancer
and its care-related components.
With the end view of sustaining the  provision  of affordable cancer care and treatment
and  ensuring that the  CAF will  be  made  accessible to  as  many cancer patients as  possible, this
bill   seeks  to   appropriate   One   billion   pesos   (Phpl,000,000,000.00)   annually  to  the   Cancer
Assistance  Fund  to  support  the  cancer  medicine  and  treatment  assistance  program  of  the
government.
In view thereof, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.
/z-7=-
I(eith Micah "Atty. Mike" D.L. Tan
4th District, Quezon
2https://www.dbm.gov.ph/index.php/secretary-s-comer,/pre_ss-releases/list-of-press-
rcleases/2407-cancer-ass i stanQ_elfund-now-available-dbm~d_9h-release-,guide I ine_a Accessed on
Octrober 17, 2022


Republic of the Ph.Ilippines
HOUSE 0F REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HousEB-iLiNo.   5898
Introduced by: Hon.  Keith  Micah  "Atty.  Mike"  D.L. Tan
AN ACT
APPROPRIATING THE AMOUNT OF ONE BILLION  PESOS (PHP1,000,000,000.00) FOR THE
CANCER ASSISTANCE FUND UNDER REPUBLIC ACT NO.11215, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE
"NATIONAL INTEGRATED CANCER CONTROL ACT", TO SUPPORT THE CANCER MEDICINE AND
TREATMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  the  House  of  Representatives  of the  Philippines  in  Congress
assembled:
SECTION  1. Short Ttt/e. -This Act shall be known as the "Cancer Assistance Fund Act".
SEC.   2.   Dec/c}rott.on  o/  Po/j.cy.  -  lt  is  a  declared   policy  of  the  State  to   make  cancer
treatment  and  care  mor6  equitable  and  affordable  for  all,  especially for the  underprivileged,
poor  and  marginalized  Filipinos  through  the  institutionalization  of  responsive  and  proactive
medicine  access   program   and   provision   of  timely,   developmentally  appropriate,   and   high-
quality  cancer  services  such  as  screening,  diagnosis,  optimal  treatment  and  care,  supportive
care and palliative care.
SEC. 3. Apprapr/.crtt.ons. -Pursuant to the objective of making cancer care and treatment
affo'rdable  to  all .Filipinos,  the  amount  of  One  Billion  Pesos  (Phpl,000,000,000.00)  shall  be
appropriated to the Cancer Assistance Fund (CAF) as provided  under Section  20 of Republic Act
No.11215, otherwise known as the "National Integrated Cancer Control Act''.
The   funding  for  the   initial   lmplementation   of  this  Act   shall   be   sourced   from   any
applicable   appropriation    items   under   the   current   General   Appropriations   Act.    For   the
succeeding years, the  amount  shall  be sourced  from the  budget of the  Depart.ment of Health
(DOH) under the National Integrated Cancer Control Program.
SEC.   4.   Rapeo/t.ng   C/cruse.   -   All   laws,   decrees,   orders,   rules,   regulations   and   other
issuances  or  parts  thereof which  are  inconsistent  with  the  provisions  of this  Act  are  hereby
repealed or modified accordingly.
SEC.   5.   E#ect/.v/.ty.   -  This  Act   shall   take   effect  after  fifteen   (15)   days  following  its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,