PH, US firms ink agreement on cancer care

SAN FRANCISCO, USA — A cooperation agreement was signed on Thursday (PH Time) to build the first cancer hospital in the Philippines.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. witnessed the signing of the deal between AC Health and Varian Medical Systems, which aims to improve access to quality cancer care in the Philippines.

“The initiative is a vital stride in the fight against cancer, and it reflects the Philippines’ growing potential as a leading healthcare destination in Asia,” Marcos said.

Under the agreement, both parties will share their expertise in establishing and running the Philippines’ first dedicated specialty oncology hospital to ensure that cancer care will be more accessible to Filipinos.

Further, AC Health will establish the Healthway Cancer Care Hospital in the Philippines, which will serve as a network of oncology clinics throughout Metro Manila aimed at providing cancer patients access to comprehensive cancer care utilizing Varian’s state-of-the-art and multimodality cancer care technologies.

Among the signatories of the agreement include Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala of the Ayala Corp., AC Health CEO and President Paolo Borromeo, Varian Philippines President and Managing Director Heinz-Michael Horst Schmermer, and Varian’s Advanced Oncology Solutions Vice President Chuck Lindley.

The Presidential Communications Office said that in 2023, cancer is the third leading cause of death in the Philippines, with about 141,021 new cancer cases and 86,337 cancer deaths every year.

To boost cancer control efforts, the Philippine government enacted Republic Act No. 11215, or the National Integrated Cancer Control Act, in February 2019. — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA Integrated News