Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE 0F REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HouseBi||No.5686
Introduced by Representative Camille A. Villar
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A CANCER MEDICINE
AND TREATMENT ASSISTANCE FUND FOR INDIGENT AND
UNDERPRIVILEGED FILIPINOS
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The 1987 Philippine Constitution is clear on its declaration with regard to the
prinacy 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.'']
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 leukemia2. It is outranked only by communicable and
cardiovasoular 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.
1 1987 Philippine Constitution, Article X[Il, Section 11
2 Uicc.  Cancer and the Universal Health Care in the Philippines
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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.
The chemotherapy for cancer patients may cost about P100,000 per session.
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.
The passage of this legislation is earnestly sought.
On„7„d
CAMILLE A. VILLAR
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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE 0F REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
Hous:B-ii.iNo.5686
Introduced by Representative Camille A. Villar
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A CANCER MEDICINE
AND TREATMENT ASSISTANCE FUND FOR INDIGENT AND
UNDERPRIVILEGED FILIPINOS
Be  it  enacted by  the  Senate  and  the  House  Of Rapresentatives  in  Congress  Of the
Philippines assembled..
SECTION 1. SJ!or£ Tz.£Jc. This Act shall be known as the ``Cancer Medicine and
Treatment Fund for Filipinos."
SEC. 2.  Dechar¢ffo7z a/ PoJz.ey. It is hereby a policy of the State to protect and
promote the right to health of the people and to adopt and implement a system of
effecting   the   delivery   of  free   medicine   and   free   treatment   to   indigent   and
underprivileged cancer patients.
SEC.  3.     Establishment  Of  a  Php  10  Billion  Cancer  Fund  and  Free  Medicine
Assz.s£¢7tce Program.   There is hereby created a Ten Billion Cancer Fund that can be
availed by indigent and underprivileged cancer patients.  For the purpose,  a Cancer
Treatment Program, hereinafter referred to as the "Program," is established and to be
administered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) through
its accredited government hospitals in each particular congressional district,  to be
known as the health district.
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The   program   shall   be   limited   to   indigent and underprivileged   cancer
patient beneficiaries to  be  identified by the Philhealth in dose coordination with the
Department of Social Welfare and Development @SWD), the Department of Health
(DOH) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
The  Philhealth, jointly  with the  DSWD,  DOH  and  DILG  and  the  relevant
private groups including the association of hospitals and medical institutions and
groups  of patients,  shall  prescribe    such    rules    and    regulations    as    may   be
necessary   to   carry   out   the provision of  this Act within six (6) months from the
effectivity hereof.
SEC.  4.  Appraprj¢£i.o7ts. - There is hereby appropriated the sum of Ten Billion
Pesos (Plo,000,000,000.00)   for   the inplementation of the Program.   The National
Government shall subsequently include in the budget of the Department of Health
in the General Appropriations Act such amount as may be necessary to carry out the
objectives of this Act.
SEC  5.  RcpcflJz.ng  cJ¢wsc.  - All provisions of   laws, orders, decrees, including
rules  and  regulations  inconsistent herewith  are hereby  repealed  and/or  modified
accordingly.
SEC 6. £#ecfi.ZJI.ty. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following
its  publication  in  the  Official  Gazette  or  in  at  least  two  newspapers  of  general
circulation.
Approved.
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