RAISING awareness, improving access to cancer screening and treatment, and promoting health insurance coverage are crucial steps to reducing the rising number of cancer cases in the Philippines.
This was emphasized by Dr. Zee Ying Kiat, a senior consultant at Singapore-based Parkway Cancer Centre (PCC), during a media briefing in Cebu City on Friday, June 20, 2025.
Dr. Kiat stressed that while public knowledge about cancer is improving, the significant challenge lies in translating that awareness into action.
This is especially true in rural communities where diagnostic tools and treatment facilities often remain scarce or unaffordable.
"Even if there's knowledge, sometimes accessibility is another problem," Dr. Kiat explained.
"In rural areas, health facilities are not always available, even for basic screening like mammograms or fecal tests, which are not complicated procedures."
He added that once a cancer diagnosis is confirmed, the situation becomes even more difficult due to the need for specialized equipment, high treatment costs and limited access to essential medicines.
"Even if there's access, the cost of treatment can be high," he noted.
According to a report released on June 23, 2023, by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), a nonstock, nonprofit government corporation established in 1977 for policy research, the cost of cancer treatment in the Philippines can range from P120,000 to over P1 million.
Chemotherapy sessions alone may cost between P20,000 and P120,000 each, depending on the type of cancer.
Dr. Kiat pointed to Singapore's model, where the government encourages citizens to obtain health insurance as a way to prepare for serious illnesses like cancer.
"The most important thing is to raise awareness and aim to make healthcare more accessible — especially in the rural areas," he said, adding that choosing the best insurance one can afford is a practical step toward health security.
While declining to offer direct advice to the Philippine government, Dr. Kiat emphasized the importance of building a system that extends beyond information campaigns.
This system, he said, should genuinely equip citizens with access to early detection and financial protection.
Health insurance in the Philippines
Dr. Kiat also pointed out that the Philippines has a national health insurance agency, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth).
Starting in January 2025, Philhealth significantly expanded its cancer care benefits under the Enhanced Z Benefit Package. Breast cancer coverage increased to P1.4 million from P100,000.
Prostate and cervical cancers were included, alongside higher case rates for chemotherapy for lung, liver, ovarian and prostate cancers.
These expanded benefits fall under Philhealth’s P271-billion benefit budget for 2025, aimed at easing the financial burden of treatment and improving access to early diagnosis and care.
The Z Benefit Package, first launched in 2012, was designed for severe and costly conditions considered medically and economically catastrophic.
It covers illnesses such as early breast cancer, childhood leukemia, prostate and cervical cancer and includes room and board, diagnostics, medicines, surgery and professional fees.
“Cancer is not a death sentence," Dr. Kiat asserted during the briefing. "The more we know about cancer, the more control we have over it."
He also debunked common misconceptions, clarifying that only two to three percent of cancers are hereditary.
Most develop after birth due to mutations triggered by lifestyle and environmental factors.
Dr. Kiat cited global data showing 19 million new cancer cases in 2020, projected to increase to 26 million in five years.
In the Philippines alone, approximately 189 people are diagnosed with cancer every day. Lung, colorectal and prostate cancers are most common in men, while breast, cervical and colorectal cancers are most common in women.
With prevention and early screening as crucial tools in the fight against cancer, Dr. Kiat urged stronger government support to make healthcare access and insurance more inclusive and affordable.
The media forum was held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu City and organized by Parkway Cancer Centre, which operates in Singapore and has a local branch in Makati City. (CDF)