The Cancer Coalition Philippines applauds the House of Representatives on their diligence and hard work in passing on 2nd reading, House Bill 8636 or the National Integrated Cancer Control Act.

With an overwhelming majority endorsing the proposed bill to 3rd reading, the House of Representatives has upheld the aspirations of every Filipino cancer patient and his or her family dreaming for equitable access to a free or affordable accurate cancer diagnosis, timely treatment, prevention and palliative programs.

We at the Coalition dedicate our efforts to those cancer patients who never made it because they couldn't afford treatments, couldn't afford to detect their cancer earlier, didn't have access to information to  merely suspect they had cancer symptoms. This is dedicated to all children growing up without a parent they lost to cancer.

This is more than a law we are fighting for. It's about giving quality life to Filipinos, keeping families whole. Families are the building blocks to a values-driven healthy productive nation.

With cancer as the number two cause of death for adults and children, and with projections pointing to an  eighty (80%) increase of cancer incidence in 12 years, the urgency to enact a Cancer Control Act  is real.

Patients with any kind of cancer, of any age, any gender, any stage looks forward to the landmark legislation. Every delay leads to more financial catastrophe and death.