Romualdez assures cancer patients: Congress to address cash aid, distance woes

House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez meets some children who are cancer patients at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center in Quezon City.

MANILA, Philippines — Concerns raised by cancer patients in a town hall meeting like the need for additional financial aid and possible shelters to mitigate distance to hospitals will be addressed by the 19th Congress, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said on Monday.

Romualdez during a town hall meet at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) in Quezon City, intended to listen to grievances of cancer patients and their relatives, said that aside from the concerns mentioned, the House will find a way to solve problems like lack of facilities for doctors, and lack of support for research and development.

“All of these, we are going to address. We will make sure, together with the Committee on Appropriations and the whole Congress, that public funds will go to where it is truly needed,” he said.

“We commit to make sure that the voices of all stakeholders are considered. Foremost among our priorities is to let the people feel that our government is a shoulder to rely on. Ang gobyerno ang inyong Kuya sa panahon ng pangangailangan (The government is your big brother in times of need),” he added.

According to Romualdez, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration is working to create the Philippine Cancer Center which will focus on the said disease — much like the specialty hospitals for specific ailments.

“Ang Philippine Cancer Center ay isa sa magiging legacy project ng administrasyong Marcos. Magsisilbi itong pagamutan ng mga may cancer, research facility at training ground na rin para sa ating mga Cancer Specialists na tututok sa mga lugar outside Metro Manila,” he noted.

(The Philippine Cancer Center will be a legacy project of the Marcos administration.  This will serve as a treatment facility for cancer patients, research facility, and training ground for our Cancer Specialists who would focus on areas outside Metro Manila.)

Romualdez said the Philippine Cancer Center will be located in Quezon City like its fellow specialty centers.  According to the Speaker, they will also look for funding to continue the “Lungsod ng Kabataan” project initiated by former First Lady Imelda Marcos, which is aimed at making children’s stay at hospitals more comfortable.

“What we are doing is all about inclusive governance.  Sa Bagong Pilipinas, needs will prevail and every centavo spent will redound to the benefit of our people.  Cancer patients will be a priority,” he added.

During the program also, Romualdez announced that his office has facilitated the release of P6.78 million worth of medical aid through guarantee letters, and a separate P300,000 aid for PCMC patients.

Romualdez said all 30 cancer patients who participated in the town hall meet were given Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients (MAIP) of the Department of Health (DOH), or the guarantee letter, amounting to P50,000, for a total of P1.5 million.

MAIP guarantee letters worth P30,000, were also distributed to 176 admitted patients of PCMC, which totaled to P5.280 million.

The P300,000 meanwhile was for the 30 participants — or P10,000 per participant — coming from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Assistance to individuals in crisis situations (AICS) program.

“To the care and medication of a cancer patient is among the most financially taxing things that a family can experience. It is even more difficult if children are involved. Through this medical assistance, we hope to somehow ease the burden on these families and give them hope,” Romualdez said.

“I sincerely thank President Marcos, DOH Secretary Dr. Ted Herbosa, and DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian for their kind-hearted intervention. Their assistance will literally end up saving lives,” he added.

Aside from Romualdez, the following government officials attended the meeting Congress at Your Service-We listen, We Deliver meet at PCMC:

• Quezon City 3rd District Rep. Franz Pumaren
• TGP Party List Rep. Jose “Bong” Teves, Jr.
• Tingog Party List Rep. Jude Acidre
• Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janet Garin
• Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte
• Ako Bicol Party List Rep. Elizaldy Co (represented by former Health Usec. Roger Tong-an)

Cancer remains the third leading cause of death among Filipinos in 2022, data collated by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) from January to November 2022 showed.

From January to November of 2022, the PSA said ischemic heart diseases accounted for 103,628 deaths or 18.4 percent of the total deaths in the country; followed by cerebrovascular diseases with 57,411 deaths (10.2 percent); and then neoplasms or cancers with 57,354 cases (10.2 percent).

READ: PSA: Heart diseases continue to lead major causes of death in PH 

Despite the severity of the situation, the government has been faulted in the past for not focusing its energy towards cancer.  During the budget deliberations for the then-proposed 2023 national budget, lawmakers called out the executive branch for deleting the line item for cancer assistance in the Department of Health (DOH) proposed appropriation.

READ: DOH asks House to restore P500M cancer fund in proposed 2023 budget 

READ: Long lines, lengthy treatment wear out PH cancer patients 

Romualdez assured the town hall participants that the 19th Congress would continuously listen to the plight of cancer patients.

“Let me assure you that the 19th Congress will always be a listening and working arm of our govt. As your representatives, your voices will be our voices. We will always listen and try to deliver the best we could,” he noted. With reports from Bea Alicia Delariarte, INQUIRER.net trainee

JPV