Sunday, January 21, 2007 200T Filipinos suffer from cancer yearly: lawmaker
STRESSING the need for government to educate the Filipino people on cancer, Senate President Manuel Villar said the threat of cancer is real and is now the number three killer of Filipinos.
Villar said unless the government does its share on how the people can fight the disease, cancer can become the number one killer in the country in a few years.
He added that just about anyone can get stricken by cancer.
“In fact, it is estimated that one of every 1000 Filipinos will get cancer and that 200,000 Filipinos suffer from cancer yearly. Early detection is the key and creating awareness is the first step,” Villar said.
As the country observes Cancer Consciousness Week starting last January 17 until the 23rd of the month, Villar said the people should not just shrug off disease awareness campaigns as calendar events of certain organizations but look at it as opportunities to focus on programs and projects that can alleviate the suffering of people afflicted with such diseases.
“There is a tendency to just shrug it off or worse ignore it. This is really counterproductive to the purpose of designating those dates as such,” Villar said.
Villar said lawmakers file bills to designate certain days of the year as awareness days for diseases in order to call the attention of the public and even the government to do something to combat such disease or support its sufferers or victims.
He cited cancer as an example of a disease or affliction which is talked about extensively but remains a serious threat and still requires attention.
Villar said other than January 17 to 23, which is designated as Cancer Consciousness Week, there are different dates of observance for specific types of cancer such as for breast cancer, prostate cancer, liver cancer, leukemia among others.
“This is a good time to take action versus cancer before it becomes the number one killer of Filipinos, as projected in the next few years,” he said.
Villar has filed bills related to cancer such as Senate Bill (SB) 116, establishing a program for public education on prostate cancer and SB 2303, establishing an ovarian cancer awareness campaign.
Other legislators seek the designation of other dates for awareness of prostate cancer, liver cancer and even cancer that affects the retina of thee eye called retinoblastoma.
“As lawmakers, by filing those bills, we hope to help cancer sufferers and their families,” Villar added. (CPB/Sunnex)
