I , 
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S.'NO. 190 
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Introduced by Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
In the country, cancer ranks as a third 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 sufficient equipment and facilities to cater the needs of patients suffering 
from cancer. 
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. 
Thus, this bill seeks to establish a national cancer center in the Province of Pampanga to 
be known as Philippine National Cancer Center. It is imperative to decentralize the 
hospitals providing services to these patients particularly in the regions outside Metro 
Manila. The province of Pam pang a is accessible to the patients from the other areas with 
high prevalence 0 f 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. 
In light ofthe foregoing, the immediate passage ofthis bill is earnestly sought. 
~lJ 
TRILLAN~IV 
Senator 
1 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Fint Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
s.'No. 190 
, 
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Introduced by Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL CANCER CENTER TO BE KNOWN AS THE 
PHILIl)PINE NATIONAL CANCER CENTER AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled 
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SECTION 1. Establishment. -- There shall be established, under the supervision 
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of the Department of Health (DOH), the Philippine National Cancer Center in the 
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Province of Pam pang a, herein refened to as Cancer Center. 
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The Cancer Center shall be administered by a Board of Trustees, composed of 
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seven (7) members, to be appointed by the President of the Philippines upon the 
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recommendation of the Department of Health. 
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The members of the Board of Trustees shall serve for a period of four (4) years 
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and until their successors shall have been appointed and qualified. Any vacancy in the 
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Board shall be filled by appointment by the President of the Philippines upon the 
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recommendation of the Departme~t of Health, and the appointee shall serve for the 
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unexpired term. 
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SEC. 2. Board of Trustees. - The Board of Trustees, as provided for in the 
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preceding section, shall have the following powers and functions: 
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I. To elect a Chairman from anlOng them, who shall be the presiding officer of 
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the Board of Trustees; 
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2. To appoint a Director of the Cancer Center who shall serve as Vice-
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Chairman of the Board; 
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3. To formulate policies and adopt measures which are necessary to 
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carry out the provisions of this act; 
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4. To prescribe, amend, and repeal its by-laws, rules and regulations 
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governing the manner in which the general business of the Cancer 
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Center may be conducted and its power exercised; and 
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5. To perform such other functions as maybe necessary to achieve the 
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objectives of this Act. 
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The four (4) members of the Board of Trustees shall constitute a quorum and 
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may transact business. Any decision of such four members on any matter duly presented to 
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the Board of Trustees shall constitute a valid and binding act of the Cancer Center. 
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SEC. 3. Director of tile Cancer Center. - The Cancer Center shall have a 
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director who shall be its chief executive officer. The director shall have the 
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following powers and function: 
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1. To appoint, remove, and fix the compensation of the personnel 
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thereof, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees; 
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2. To prepare the agenda for the meeting of the Board and to submit for 
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the consideration of the Board, policies and other important measures; 
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3. To execute and administer the policies and measures approved by the 
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Board; and 
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4. To dit'ect and supervise the internal operations and administration of 
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the Cancer Center. 
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SEC. 4. Government Contributions. - The Government shall contribute the 
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necessary land, building, equipment and facilities to the Cancer Center. 
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SEC. 5. Property of tile Cel/ler. - The Property of the Cancer Center shall 
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consist of such real, personal, mixed, and other type of property, now owned or reserved 
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for, or may hereafter be given, donated, acquired, transferred or conveyed to the Cancer 
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Center by the Philippine Government, its branches and instrumentalities, any foreign 
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government, as well as by trust, foundations, corporations, or persons, alien or domestic, 
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in order to carry out its purposes and objectives as set fOlih herein. 
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SEC. 6. Purposes afld Objectives. - The purposes and o~jectives of the Cancer 
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Center are: 
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1. To construct, establish, operate and maintain a cancer center for the public 
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welfare, including a specialized cancer hospital; 
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2. To create awareness of cancer prevention, control and treatment in the 
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general public, through film showings, lectw·es, congresses, conventions, 
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seminars, and conferences; 
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3. To promote, encourage, engage and assist m scientific research on the 
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prevention, control and treatment of cancer; 
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4. To create cancer control programs through the collection and recording of facts 
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about cancer incidence, and other data; 
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5. To gather, compile, and publish the findings of scientific researches for public 
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dissemination; 
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6. To facilitate and encourage the dissemination and exchange of ideas and 
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infonnation on the prevention, treatment and control of cancer, to arouse, 
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enhance and develop public interest on cancer consciousness or awareness; 
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7. To develop or support patient care programs and other programs that would 
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provide pain relief and psycho-social support for the teiminally-ill cancer patient 
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and his family; 
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8. To encourage andlor undertake the training of physicians, nurses, medical 
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technicians, health officers and social workers on the practical and scientific 
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conduct and implementatilln of cancer services, and related activities; 
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9. To encourage the fonnation of other organization on the national, provincial, 
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city, municipal or barangay level and to coordinate their various efforts and 
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activities for the purpose of 
achieving a more effective programmatic 
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approach on the common problems relative to the objectives herein enunlerated; 
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and 
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10. To extend medical services to the general public, to help prevent, relieve or 
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alleviate the innwnerable afflictions and maladies of the people specially the 
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poor and less fortunate it life, without regard to race, creed, color or political 
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belief. 
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SEC. 7. Powers oj the Caflcer Center. - For the attaiament andlor furtherance of 
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the above purposes and objectives, the Cancer Center, as a body corporate, acting through 
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• 
its Board of Trustees, shall have all the powers pertaining to a juridical person, and is 
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therefore authorized, among other things: 
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I. To acquire and hold in any property of whatever nature or description, and to 
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dispose of such property under any mode of encumbrance or conveyance; 
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2. To contract and be contracted with; 
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3. To mortgage, lease, sell, transfer, conveyor otherwise dispose of its properties; 
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4. To solicit and receive donations, endowments and funds in the form of 
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contributions, whether in' cash or in kind, from both the public and private 
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sectors; 
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5. To open such accounts in banks and other financial institutions, and to disburse 
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such funds or invest the same as the Board may direct to accomplish or advance 
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the purposes or interest of the Cancer Center; 
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6. To send the personnel of the Cancer Center to research or medical institutes or 
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universities for advance training or observation and to attend intemational or 
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regional conventions, conferences, congresses, seminars as the Board may deem 
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necessmy to accomplish the purposes and objectives of the Cancer Center; 
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7. To adopt a set of by-laws, mles and regulations not inconsistent with law and the 
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provisions hereof to govem the administration and operation of the affairs of the 
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Cancer Center; and To develop or support patient care programs and other 
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programs that would provide pain relief and psycho-social support for the 
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terminally-ill cancer patient and his family; 
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8. To do all such other acts and things as are or may be necessmy or incidental for 
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the accomplishment of the purposes and objectives of the Cancer Center. 
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SEC. 8. Tax Exemptions. - All donations, contributions or endowment that may 
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be made by entities or persons to the Cancer Center shall be exempt from income and gift 
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taxes. 
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The Cancer Center shall be exempt from the payment of all taxes, charges and fee 
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imposed by the Government or any political subdivision or instrumentality thereof. 
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SEC. 9. ASSistance ft'om government offices. - The Cancer Center may call upon 
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any department, bureau, office, agency or instrumentality of the Govemment, including 
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govemment-owned or controlled corporations, for such assistance as it may need in the 
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pursuit of its purposes and objectives. 
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1 
SEC. 
10. Appropriations. 
-
The amount of eight hundred 
million 
2 
(P800,000,000.00) for the structure equipment and initial operation and maintenance of 
3 
the Cancer Center shall be charged to the appropriations for the Department of Health. 
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Thereafter, such funds as may be m;cessary for the continued operation and maintenance 
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of the Cancer Center shall be included in the Genera Appropriations Act. 
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SEC. 11. Auditing. - The books and accounts of the Cancer Center shall be 
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subject to periodic auditing by the duly authorized representative Commission on Audit. 
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SEC. 12. Annual Report. - The Cancer Center shall render to the Depaliment of 
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Health an annual report of its activities, accomplishments and recommendations. 
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SEC. 13. Effect of Dissolution of lite Cancer Center. - If for any reason, the 
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Cance Center is dissolved, its assets and properties remaining at the time of dissolution, 
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shall revert tc the Philippine Government for disposition in accordance with law. 
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SEC. 14. Repealillg Clause. - Any laws, decrees, ordinances or I1lles and 
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regulations which al'e inconsistent with or contrary to the provision of this Act is hereby 
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amended or repealed. 
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SEC. 15. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its 
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publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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