MANILA — A fund that will provide support for cancer patients and survivors is now available in 30 public hospitals nationwide, according to the Department of Health.

The Cancer Assistance Fund will cover outpatient and inpatient services including but not limited to diagnostics, therapeutic procedures, medicines, treatment and management services, and other care-related components of cancer, the agency said.

"As part of our efforts towards realizing Universal Health Care, the CAF was developed and implemented to increase the accessibility of specialty cancer care services to many of our kababayans afflicted with this disease," DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a statement Monday.

The DOH has identified 8 cancer types, which are eligible to be financed by the CAF.

These are breast cancer, childhood cancer, gynecologic cancer, liver cancer, adult blood cancers, head and neck cancers, lung cancer, and prostate, renal, and urinary bladder cancers.

To avail of the assistance, patients or carers must submit the requirements to identified access sites where CAF services are available, the DOH said.

Required documents including prescriptions, treatment protocols, and medical abstracts shall first undergo evaluation prior to approval and provision of services.

CAF access sites include the following:

1. Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center
2. East Avenue Medical Center
3. Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center
4. Rizal Medical Center, Philippine General Hospital
5. National Kidney and Transplant Institute
6. Philippine Children’s Medical Center
7. National Children’s Hospital
8. Asian Hospital and Medical Center
9. Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center
10. Region I Medical Center
11. Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center
12. Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center
13. Cagayan Valley Medical Center
14. Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital
15. Bataan General Hospital and Medical Center
16. Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center
17. Batangas Medical Center
18. Bicol Regional Teaching and Training Hospital
19. Bicol Medical Center
20. Western Visayas Medical Center
21. Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital
22. Western Visayas Center for Health Development
23. Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center
24. Easter Visayas Medical Center
25. Zamboanga City Medical Center
26. Northern Mindanao Medical Center
27. Davao Regional Medical Center
28. Southern Philippines Medical Center
29. Cotabato Regional and Medical Center
30. Cotabato Sanitarium

Republic Act 11215 or National Integrated Cancer Control Act was signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte in February 2019.

Under the 2022 GAA, some P529 million was allocated for CAF.

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Cancer was the fourth leading cause of death in the Philippines from January to July 2022, according to government data.

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The Philippine Cancer Facts and Estimates of the DOH said there are up to 8 deaths per day for childhood cancer and up to 11 new cases and 7 deaths every hour for adult cancer in the Philippines.

Each year, there are approximately 110,000 new cancer cases and over 66,000 cancer deaths.

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