Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, highlighted the important role of the newly signed Republic Act  11959, also known as the "Regional Specialty Centers Act," in response to alarming statistics revealing heart disease as the leading cause of death in the Philippines.

This legislation, which Go principally sponsored and is one of the authors in the Senate, mandates the creation of more specialty centers in regional hospitals around the country to bring specialized care closer to those in need.

Under the Regional Specialty Centers Act, existing Department of Health regional hospitals in the Philippines will integrate specialty centers focusing on specialized care including heart diseases, among others.

This particular specialty addresses the critical need for advanced cardiovascular treatments and facilities to combat heart-related ailments other than those available in the Philippine Heart Center in Metro Manila.

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the Philippines for the first half of 2023, as per the Philippine Statistics Authority. Ischemic heart disease was the most common, accounting for 19 percent of all deaths from January to July 2023, with over 65,000 cases.

Neoplasms, or abnormal tissue growths that may become cancerous were the second leading cause of death, followed by cerebrovascular diseases like stroke, contributing to 10 percent of deaths each. Diabetes mellitus was fourth, causing 6.3 percent  of deaths.

The trend of ischemic heart disease as a leading cause of death has been consistent over the years, with over 123,000 deaths in 2022 and over 155,000 in 2021, representing 18 percent and 17 percent  of total deaths, respectively according to the report.

Aside from specialized care, Go also stressed the need for early disease detection. That is why Go also reiterated his commitment to support the establishment of more Super Health Centers across the country, considering how they can significantly help reduce hospital occupancy rates while bringing government medical services closer to the grassroots.

He explained that Super Health Centers are designed to focus on primary care, consultation, and early disease detection, further strengthening the country's healthcare system, especially in grassroots communities.