SAN FERNANDO, Philippines — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. vowed Tuesday to combat cancer more aggressively, highlighting the disease’s status as the second leading cause of death in the Philippines while breaking ground on a new specialized cancer care facility for overseas Filipino workers.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Bagong Pilipinas Cancer Care Center, Marcos emphasized the urgent need to provide comprehensive medical support for patients, particularly those from the overseas worker community.
“We need to be equally aggressive in providing treatment for our patients — to give them hope, to provide them with care, make them feel at home at the time when they need it the most,” Marcos told assembled officials and healthcare workers.
The new center, located within the Overseas Filipino Workers Hospital, represents a significant expansion of medical services for migrant workers and their families. The facility is set to offer specialized cancer care in a dedicated wing, addressing a critical healthcare gap.
Marcos paid emotional tribute to the late Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople, crediting her vision as instrumental in establishing the center. He described the facility as a symbol of commitment to workers who have sacrificed for their families and the nation.
“May this Cancer Care Center be a symbol of our better future,” Marcos said, switching between English and Filipino, “wherein the sacrifices of our OFWs are repaid, their dreams are fulfilled, and their health is valued.”
The hospital, inaugurated in 2022, is the first medical institution in the Philippines exclusively serving overseas workers and their dependents. With this expansion, it aims to transform into a premier tertiary center offering specialized diagnostic and therapeutic services.
Philippine Statistics Authority data underscores the center’s importance, revealing cancer as the country’s second most common cause of death in the first five months of the year.
The Department of Health’s Health Facility Enhancement Program has been crucial in bringing this project to fruition, reflecting a broader national strategy to improve healthcare infrastructure and access.
