The Philippine Society of Oncologists (PSO) President, Dr Herdee Gloriane C. Luna, had the privilege to share the Cancer Situation in the Philippines, how it impacts lives as well as ways the PSO has been supporting the Philippine Cancer Society’s free community navigation and mobile bus screening through the ACT Now Portal registration (https://actnow.philcancer.org.ph/patient). The trained cancer navigators help bringing cancer education, breast and cervical cancer screening, biopsy and tissue diagnosis, as well as immediate referral to DOH centers with Medical Access Program. This ACT NOW program has beed recognized by the international medical community garnering the Best Early Breast Cancer Poster in ESMO Asia Congress 2023 for improving patient outcomes. Currently there are women being treated in EAMC because of ACT NOW early screening and detection. And ACT NOW has been one of the pioneer cancer projects in QC to which, inspired by its potential to save lives, Quezon City Integrated Cancer Control Ordinance was born amidst gathering of stakeholders. Invest in health. Let’s save more lives by making Cancer a priority.

During a meeting in February 15, 2024, an agreement to create the QC Integrated Cancer Control Ordinance with the City Councilors Alfred Vargas, and Bernard Herrera was born. On April 25, 2024, public consultation on the said Ordinance was done at the Executive Lounge, 15th Floor, High Rise Building in QC Hall. There, QC councilors Alfred Vargas, Bernard Herrera, Charm Ferrer co-authored and support QC Integrated Cancer Control Ordinance to improve patient navigation, support the patients’ journey from prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment to survivorship and increase budget allocation for a whole-goverment whole-society approach in battling cancer. Stakeholders from Philippine Cancer Society, Dr Corazon Ngelangel, Dr Gloria Cristal-Luna, DOH cancer control Division Ms Yanne Panlilio and Mr Joerem, DOH NCD’s Miss Joan Rey, Dr Rivera and Cancer Coalition Philippine’s Ms Menchie Auste join the public consultation to bring the ordinance into meaningful priorities. We are making progress, QC. Let’s continue this valuable cause!