Lord Allan Velasco —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
The House has allotted P620 million in the P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021 for the government’s cancer control program, according to Speaker Lord Allan Velasco. Velasco on Sunday said the budget would fund the implementation of the National Integrated Cancer Control Act of 2019 to cover the cost of cancer prevention, treatment and medicines in the country. “With this funding, the government can now provide cancer patients with better access to more responsive and affordable health-care services,” he said. Citing data from the Department of Health, Velasco said about 110,000 new cases were diagnosed annually while about 66,000 Filipinos die every year from cancer. Citing data from the Cancer Coalition Philippines, he said the cost of chemotherapy per session could range from P20,000 to P120,000 or more. —Nestor Corrales