NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
s. No. 1929
ol tl)C
of ti'ip ft.,',--ftni-p
23 FEB 27 P3:24
RtCElV'cD 3Y...
Introduced by SENATOR CYNTHIA A. VILLAR
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A CANCER MEDICINE AND TREATMENT ASSISTANCE FUND 
FOR INDIGENT AND UNDERPRIVLEGED FILIPINOS
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The 1987 Philippine Constitution is clear on its declaration with regard to the 
primacy of health: "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."1
Cancer is the third leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the Philippines, 
and the leading causes of cancer related deaths in the country are lung, liver, 
breast, colon cancers and leukemia.2 It is outranked only by communicable and 
cardiovascular diseases, claiming one death for every two new cases within a year, 
while cancer, which afflicts 189 per 100,000, kills four Filipinos every hour or 103 
every day.
The incidence and mortality rate of cancer in the Philippines has been 
increasing in the past decades. This trend is expected to continue if organized and 
sustained specialized care and preventive measures against cancer are not initiated.
1 Article XIII, Section 11,1987 Philippine Constitution
2 Uicc. Cancer and the Universal Health Care in the Philippines


Based on data gathered, the chemotherapy for cancer patients may cost from 
Php 20,000.00 to Php 120,000.00 per session, depending on the type of cancer. The 
cost of treatment by radiation, or even examination by MRI, is burdensome even to 
middle-income patients, and often beyond the reach of the poor.
This is why cancer has gained a reputation as the disease for the rich. The 
painful truth is that it can afflict anybody, regardless of economic status.
Considering that one of the goals of the national economy is a more equitable 
distribution of opportunities and raising the quality of life for all, especially the 
underprivileged, it is high time that those who are less in life be given the lifeline to 
fight the cancer disease despite their lack of resources.
In view of the foregoing, I recommend the approval of this measure.
CYNTHIA A. VILLArN^


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S. No. 1929
finale
of thf £--fn ‘tni-i’
23 FEB 27 P3 24
Introduced by SENATOR CYNTHIA A. VILLAR
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A CANCER MEDICINE AND TREATMENT ASSISTANCE FUND 
FOR INDIGENT AND UNDERPRIVLEGED FILIPINOS
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as "Cancer Medicine and
2 
Treatment Fund for Filipinos".
3 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby a policy of the State to protect and
4 
promote the right to health of the people and to adopt and implement a system of
5 
effecting the delivery of free medicine and free treatment to indigent and
6 
underprivileged cancer patients.
7 
Sec. 3. Establishment of a Php 10 Billion Cancer Fund and Free Medicine
8 
Assistance Program. -There is hereby created a Ten Billion Cancer Fund that can be
9 
availed by indigent and underprivileged cancer patients. For the purpose, a Cancer
10 
Treatment Program, hereinafter referred to as the "Program," is established and to
11 
be administered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) through
12 
its accredited government hospitals in each particular congressional district, to be
13 
known as the health district.
14 
The program shall be limited to indigent and underprivileged cancer
15 
patient beneficiaries to be identified by the Philhealth in close coordination with the


1 
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Health
2 
(DOH) and the Department of Interior and Locai Government (DILG).
3 
The Philhealth, jointiy with the DSWD, DOH and DILG and the relevant
4 
private groups inciuding the association of hospitais and medicai institutions and
5 
groups of patients, shali prescribe such ruies and regulations as may be necessary
6 
to carry out the provision of this Act within six (6) months from the effectivity
7 
hereof.
8 
Sec. 4. Appropriations. -There is hereby appropriated the sum of Ten Billion
9 
Pesos (P10,000,000,000.00) for the impiementation of the Program. The National
10 
Government shall subsequently include in the budget of the Department of Health in
11 
the Generai Appropriations Act such amount as may be necessary to carry out the
12 
objectives of this Act.
13 
Sec. 5. Repeating clause. - Aii provisions of laws, orders, decrees, including
14 
rules and regulations inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed and/or modified
15 
accordingly.
16 
Sec. 6. Effectivity. -This shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in
17 
at ieast two (2) newspapers of generai circulation.
Approved,