REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
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SENATE? 
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S. NO. 3090 
Introduced bv Senator Antonio "Sonnv" F. Trillanes IV 
Explanatory Note 
In the country, cancer ranks third as a leading cause of mortality, claiming 103 lives a day or four 
persons every ~ Q U L  The estistinaaaed incidence rate is 189 persons per 100,1100 Filipinas. Qne (I) 
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 fiuther 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 N a t i ~ ~ l  
Cmcex Center. It is imperative to decentralize the hospitals 
providing services to these patients particularly in the regions outside Metro Manila. 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. 
In light of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
A*O&IO 
"SONNY" F..TRILLANES N 
Senator 
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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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Second Regular Session 
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FEB17 A 9 3 3  
Introduced by Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL CANCER CENTER TO BE KIyO\VN AS TIfE 
PHIJXPPINE NATIONAL CANCER CENTER AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR 
. Be it e m f e d  by the &mte and House of Representaaives $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 &om 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; 
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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 
5. To perfom such other functions as may be necessary to achieve the objectives of this Act. 
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 ofthe 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 important 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 ofthe Center. The Property of the Cancer Center shall consist of such 
real, personal, mixed, and other type of property, now owned or reserved 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, 
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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 
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objectives herein enumerated; and 
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10. To extend medical services to the general public, to help prevent, relieve or alleviate the 
innumerable aMictions 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 ofthe 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. 
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SEC. 8. Tax fiemptions. 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. Eflect 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 
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the Philippine Government for disposition in accordance with law. 
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repealed. 
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SEC. 14. Repealing Clause.- Any laws, decrees, ordinances or rules and regulations 
which are inconsistent with or contrary to the provision of this Act is hereby amended or 
SEC. 15. Effectivivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its publication 
in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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