Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Batasan Hills, Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO.  1360 
Introduced by 4Ps Partylist Representative 
JC M. ABALOS 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Cancer, an insidious adversary that claims nearly 10 million lives worldwide 
each year, continues to be one of the leading causes of death in the Philippines. 
Annually, 150,000 new cases are reported in the country, with 254 Filipino lives lost 
daily to the disease.1 Recent data from the Philippine Statistics Authority in 2024 
identifies neoplasms, or cancer, as the second leading cause of death, accounting for 
42,870 cases, or 11% of the total deaths nationwide.2 This data just shows the urgent 
need for collective action to strengthen the country’s cancer care system. This was 
also highlighted during the recently concluded 2025 Philippine National Cancer 
Summit. 
While the enactment of Republic Act No. 11215, also known as the National 
Integrated Cancer Control Act, in 2019, is a positive course toward a holistic 
approach to the treatment and care of cancer patients, as well as the psychosocial 
support for their carers, families, and communities. Although there are healthcare 
institutions with specialized facilities that cater to cancer patients, there is still the 
need for a dedicated national institution mandated to carry out the comprehensive 
and integrated cancer program under RA 11215.  
2 Philippine Statistics Authority, "2024 Causes of Death in the Philippines (Provisional as of 31 January 2025)," 
Philippine Statistics Authority, last modified March 24, 2025, 
https://psa.gov.ph/content/2024-causes-death-philippines-provisional-31-january-2025. 
1 Philippine Cancer Society Cancer Commission Foundation (PCS CANCOM), "Philippine National Cancer 
Summit 2025," Philippine National Cancer Summit, 2025, https://cancersummit.pcscancom.org/. 
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July 7, 2025
9:24 am


This bill, therefore, seeks the establishment of the National Cancer Center of 
the Philippines. Among its key objectives, the center ensures that Filipino cancer 
patients 
and 
their 
families, 
particularly 
those 
from 
marginalized 
and 
underprivileged sectors, receive inclusive, equitable, and affordable treatment and 
care from the best medical specialists. 
As a cancer survivor, it is this Representation's profound hope that the 
establishment of this center will significantly improve access to inclusive, equitable, 
and affordable treatment and care from leading medical specialists for all Filipino 
cancer patients and their families. 
In view of the above, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
JC M. ABALOS 
Representative 
4Ps Partylist 
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Batasan Hills, Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO.  1360 
Introduced by 4Ps Partylist Representative 
JC M. ABALOS 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL CANCER CENTER TO BE KNOWN 
AS THE NATIONAL CANCER CENTER OF THE PHILIPPINES 
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled:  
SECTION 1. Creation of the Philippine National Cancer Center. – The 
National Cancer Center of the Philippines is hereby created under the supervision of 
the Department of Health. 
SEC. 2. Board of Trustees. – The National Cancer Center of the Philippines 
shall be governed, and its activities and properties be directed, controlled, and 
managed, by a Board of Trustees, which shall be composed of a Chairman and six (6) 
members, all of whom 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 to fill the vacancy shall hold 
office for the unexpired term of the member. Whenever a vacancy shall occur in the 
Board, the person appointed to fill the vacancy shall hold office for the unexpired 
term of the member. 
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The Board shall elect a Chairman from among themselves, who shall be the 
presiding officer of the Board of Trustees. The Medical Director of the Philippine 
National Cancer Center shall serve as Vice-Chairman of the Board. 
 
Four (4) members of the Board of Trustees shall constitute a quorum to 
transact business and any decision of such four (4) members on any matter duly 
presented to the Board of Trustees shall constitute a valid and binding act of the 
National Cancer Center of the Philippines. 
 
SEC. 3. Government Contribution. – The Government shall contribute the 
necessary land, building, equipment, and facilities to the National Cancer Center of 
the Philippines. 
 
SEC. 4. Property of the Center. – The property of the National Cancer Center 
of the Philippines shall consist of such real, personal, mixed, and other types of 
property, now owned or reserved for, or may hereafter be given, donated, acquired, 
transferred or conveyed to the National Cancer Center of the Philippines by the 
government, its branches and instrumentalities, any foreign government, as well as 
by trust, foundations, corporations, or persons, alien or domestic, in order to carry 
out its purposes and objectives as set forth herein. 
 
SEC. 5. Purposes and Objectives. – The National Cancer Center of the 
Philippines shall have the following purposes and objectives: 
(1)​To construct, establish, equip, maintain, administer and operate a 
specialized hospital for diagnosis, treatment, care, rehabilitation, and/or 
relief of cancer patients; 
 
(2)​To promote medical research relative to the prevention and treatment of 
cancer including sponsorship and conduct of relevant congresses, 
conventions, seminars, and conferences; 
 
(3)​To create awareness of cancer prevention, treatment, and control through 
public information dissemination; 
 
(4)​To encourage the training of physicians, nurses, medical technicians, 
health officers, and social workers on the practical and scientific conduct 
and implementation of services, and related activities; 
 
(5)​To assist universities, colleges, hospitals, and research institutions in their 
studies of cancer and encourage advanced training and specialization on 
matters of, or affecting cancer; 
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(6)​To provide psychosocial support services and counseling to the patient 
and family members; and 
 
(7)​To consolidate the information from other related organizations to aid the 
government’s efforts, policies, and programs relative to the purposes and 
objectives enumerated herein. 
 
SEC. 6. Powers. – For the attainment and/or furtherance of the 
above-enumerated purposes and objectives, the National Cancer Center of the 
Philippines, acting through its Board of Trustees, shall have the following orders and 
functions, among other things: 
(1)​To contract and be contracted with; 
 
(2)​To adopt by-laws, rules and regulations not contrary to law to govern the 
administration and operation of the affairs of the National Cancer Center 
of the Philippines; 
 
(3)​To purchase, receive, take or grant, hold, convey, sell, lease, pledge, 
mortgage, and otherwise deal with such property of whatever nature the 
transaction of the lawful business of the National Cancer Center of the 
Philippines may reasonably and necessarily require subject to the 
limitations prescribed by law; 
 
(4)​To invite foreign cancer specialists and similar experts in the various 
medical fields to train the personnel or trainees or residents of the 
National Cancer Center of the Philippines; 
 
(5)​To advance the training of personnel of the Philippine conventions, 
conferences, congresses, and seminars to accomplish the purpose and 
objectives of the National Cancer Center of the Philippines; 
 
(6)​To exercise such other powers and functions as may be necessary to carry 
out the purposes of the National Cancer Center of the Philippines. 
 
SEC. 7. Tax Exemption on Donations. – All donations, contributions, and 
endowments that may be made by entities or persons to the National Cancer Center 
of the Philippines shall be exempt from income and gift taxes. 
 
The National Cancer Center of the Philippines shall be exempt from the 
payment of all taxes, charges and fees imposed by the government or any political 
subdivision or instrumentality thereof. 
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SEC. 8. Assistance from Government Offices. – The National Cancer Center of 
the Philippines may call upon any department, bureau, office, and agency or 
instrument of the Government, including government-owned or controlled 
corporations, for such assistance as it may need in the pursuit of purposes and 
objectives. 
 
SEC. 9. Appropriations. – The amount of one billion pesos is hereby 
appropriated for the initial operation of the National Cancer Center of the 
Philippines which shall be charged to the appropriations of the Department of 
Health under the current General Appropriations Act. Thereafter, the necessary 
amount to support the continued operation and maintenance of the National Cancer 
Center of the Philippines shall be included in the annual General Appropriations 
Act. 
 
SEC. 10. Auditing. – The books of accounts of the National Cancer Center of 
the Philippines shall be subject to periodic auditing by the Commission on Audit. 
 
SEC. 11. Annual Report. – The National Cancer Center of the Philippines shall 
render to the Department of Health an annual report on its operations and 
accomplishments. 
 
SEC. 12. Effect of Dissolution. – If for any reason, the National Cancer Center 
of the Philippines is dissolved, its properties and assets remaining at the time of such 
dissolution shall revert to the Philippine Government for disposition in accordance 
with the law. 
 
SEC. 13. Separability Clause. – If any provision of this Act is held invalid or 
unconstitutional the other provisions not so declared shall remain in force and effect. 
 
SEC. 14. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations 
contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or 
amended accordingly. 
 
SEC. 15. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved. 
 
 
 
 
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