Solon eyes vigorous gov’t drive vs. breast cancer

DEPUTY Speaker and Las Piñas City Rep. Camille Villar on Tuesdayappealed to the government to intensify its early detection programs and promote easier access to preventive screening against breast cancer to save lives.

Villar’s appeal was embodied in House Resolution 1023 she filed to increase breast cancer awareness amid the prevalence of the most common cancer among women in the country.

“With the alarming growth of breast cancer cases in the Philippines, there is a need to strengthen dedicated programs against breast cancer, and to allocate adequate budgetary support for programs involving early detection in hospitals and at the local level,” Villar stressed.

Citing official reports, Villar noted that there were 86,484 total cancer cases in the Philippines, of which 27,163 breast cancer cases were reported every year.

Breast cancer also claimed the lives of 9,926 Filipino women, making it the third most fatal type of cancer afflicting Filipinos, behind lung and liver cancer.

The Philippines had the highest rate of breast cancer in Asia and the ninth highest in the world in 2019, with the disease often diagnosed already in advanced stages.

Moreover, an estimated 70 percent of breast cancer cases affect indigent women, making it more difficult for them to fight off the dreaded disease. Maricel V. Cruz support and efforts of the DOLE and its social partners in preventing and eliminating child labor in the country. We will not stop until we reach zero number of child laborers which is our target under Chapter 3 of the Philippine Development Plan 2023 2028,” Laguesma said in a statement.

The statement also identified the agriculture sector as still the top industry with the most number of child laborers and tagged Region 12 with the highest child labor incidence.

Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro on Tuesday echoed the Senate’s call for a congressional investigation into the recent seaborne tragedy at Laguna Lake off Binangonan, Rizal that left 27 people dead. Castro filed House Resolution 1149 expressing her deep concern for the victims and their families even as she emphasized the need to determine the cause of the accident involving the pump boat Princess Aya and hold those responsible accountable.

Two senators filed earlier similar resolutions seeking legislative inquiry into th incident.

“We cannot allow such tragic incidents to go unnoticed. It is our duty as representatives of the people to ensure that justice is served and that measures are put in place to prevent similar accidents in the future,” Castro said. Maricel V. Cruz

‘Make leptospirosis drugs accessible’

THE House of Representatives Committee on Health on Tuesday urged the Department of Health (DOH) to make anti-leptospirosis drugs readily available in evacuation centers during the rainy season.

AnaKalusugan party-list Rep. Ray T. Reyes, vice chairman of the Committee on Health, made the statement as he voiced concern over the DOH data on the rise in leptospirosis incidence amid the onset of the rainy season.

The DOH reported that 182 new leptospirosis cases were recorded from June 18 to July 1, a 42-percent jump from the 128 cases reported two weeks prior. Reyes said diseases like leptospirosis were likely to surge during typhoons when flooding is common.

“Leptospirosis is a preventable disease. In times like this when flooding is expected, I hope prophylaxis is readily available for our people who have to move to evacuation centers,” Reyes said. Maricel V. Cruz

REMEMBERING THE LATE PRESIDENT CORY AQUINO. Relatives and friends of former President Corazon Aquino o er owers and hear Holy Mass to commemorate her 14th death anniversary at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City on Tuesday. Norman Cruz