Estrada proposes P10B cancer fund for indigent Filipinos

Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada has filed a bill seeking the creation of a P10-billion Cancer Medicine and Treatment Assistance Fund to help indigent and underprivileged Filipinos cope with the high cost of cancer care.Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada has filed a bill seeking the creation of a P10-billion Cancer Medicine and Treatment Assistance Fund to help indigent and underprivileged Filipinos cope with the high cost of cancer care.

Under Senate Bill (SB)1057, the proposed fund will cover expenses for cancer diagnostics, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, and maintenance medicines.

Estrada said the measure aims to ease the financial burden that often forces poor patients and their families into debt or compels them to forgo life-saving treatment.

“Kapag mahirap ka at may cancer, doble ang bigat na pinapasan mo,” Estrada said, noting that public appeals for financial assistance have become common among families of cancer patients. He said the fund would ensure immediate access to medical support and give patients a better chance at recovery.

The program will be administered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) through its accredited government hospitals in every congressional district, allowing patients to receive assistance within their own communities.

Beneficiaries will be identified by PhilHealth in coordination with the Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

To safeguard public funds, the bill mandates clear eligibility guidelines, a streamlined application process, and regular audits. It also requires that the fund be sustained annually through the national budget.

Estrada said the proposal is anchored on compassion and social justice.

“This is about giving every Filipino—regardless of income—a fair chance at survival and recovery. Cancer should not be a death sentence for the poor,” he said.

If enacted, the measure would expand access to cancer treatment and mark a step toward more inclusive healthcare, ensuring that economic status does not determine a Filipino’s chances of surviving the disease.