(L-R) Dr. Marvin Mendoza, medical oncologist and program emcee; Walter Bacareza, Area Vice President, PhilHealth; Jing Castañeda, journalist and program emcee; Dr. Josephine Tolentino, President of Philippine Society of Medical Oncology; Dr. Beatrice Tiangco, member of the National Integrated Cancer Control Council; Carmen Auste, VP of Cancer Coalition Philippines; Karen Villanueva, President of Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations; Nikoy de Guzman, President, ICanServe Foundation; Dr. Cyril Tolosa, Medical Affairs Director, AstraZeneca; Sharon Chang – Oncology Business Unit Head; Frank Kevin De Jesus, son and caregiver to a cancer patient
Cancer remains the third leading cause of death in the Philippines, placing a heavy burden on patients, medical professionals, and advocacy groups every year. To help address this, AstraZeneca Philippines hosted Courage in Cancer: Transforming Patient Care through Innovation and Collaboration in Makati City in November 2024.
The forum brought together influential voices in the healthcare community to share their experiences and plans to help broaden and strengthen cancer care services in the Philippines. These included advocates from: PhilHealth, Cancer Coalition Philippines (CCPh), ICanServe Foundation, Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations (PAPO), Cancer Warriors Foundation, AstraZeneca and Philippine Society of Medical Oncology (PSMO).
Commitment to patients
Keynote speaker Walter Bacareza, PhilHealth’s Area Vice President for Northern and Central Luzon and Concurrent Vice President for NCR and Southern Luzon, detailed the agency’s nationwide cancer care plans, including the Z Benefits package that covers treatments for catastrophic illnesses.
Dr. Beatrice J. Tiangco, from the National Integrated Cancer Control Council, as well as co-founder of the Cancer CARE Registry and Research Philippines Foundation, Inc. underscored the importance of organized and easily shareable patient registry data that can document a patient’s movements from the earliest instance of investigating cancer, up to receiving treatments across various facilities.
Dr. Beatrice J. Tiangco preached about the importance of centralized data in pursuing innovations in medicine
Other speakers who expounded on ongoing initiatives to make cancer care more accessible for Filipinos were Dr. Rogelio Velasco, chairperson of the Outreach Committee of the Philippine Society of Medical Oncology (PSMO); Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala, founding president of ICanServeFoundation; Karen Villanueva of the Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations (PAPO); Alistair White, Deputy Head of Mission of the UK Embassy, and Johan Lennefalk, Commissioner of Business of the Swedish Embassy.
Carmen Auste, CEO of Cancer Warriors Foundation and VP of Cancer Coalition Philippines talked about the burden placed on the carers of cancer patients and underscored the need to seek help and maintain self-care.
Making a difference in the lives of cancer patients
The forum also heard from cancer survivors and carers of patients, including lung cancer patient and recipient of AstraZeneca immunotherapy Lorenzo Rue; breast cancer patient and still active judge, the Hon. Ma. Cristina Laderas-Maguinao; and ICanServe foundation president and breast cancer survivor Nikoy de Guzman; and Franz de Jesus, carer of his father, a lung cancer patient.
Dr. Cyril Tolosa talks about AstraZeneca’s mission to eliminate cancer as a cause of death
AstraZeneca Medical Affairs Director Dr. Cyril Tolosa emphasized AstraZeneca’s ongoing commitment to patient care, as well as the importance of working together with various stakeholders in the medical, social, and government spheres to provide better care for those with cancer.
“Our relentless pursuit of scientific breakthroughs and patient-centric approaches forms the cornerstone of our commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by cancer,” said Dr. Tolosa. “We are willing and eager to partner with patient groups and policymakers in accelerating our vision to transform cancer care…working towards better access to screening, diagnosis, and innovative treatment for every patient.”
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