The National Cancer Center of the Philippines (Nccp) Act

TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session JUl =9 23 581 SENATE Senate Bill No. _ Introduced by Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri AN ACT ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL CANCER CENTER TO BE KNOWN AS THE NATIONAL CANCER CENTER OF THE PHILIPPINES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR EXPLANATORY NOTE For the average Filipino, a cancer diagnosis is still seen as a death sentence—a disease that will cost one's life or one's entire life savings, if not both. The fatalities, indeed, are considerable. In 2022, the Global Cancer Observatory released a report revealing that cancer claimed 113,369 lives in the Philippines in that year alone. The Philippine Statistics Agency, meanwhile, found that from January to April 2024, neoplasms-accounting for both benign masses and malignant cancers-ranked second in the leading causes of death in the country. These mortality statistics paint a grim picture but an incomplete one. In discussing Society recorded about 18.6 million cancer survivors in the United States—a number that they expect to rise by about 4 million in ten years. The Australian government, in 2022, reported a 70 percent cancer survival rate between 2014 to 2018. In an article for the Korean Cancer Association's medical journal Cancer Research and Treatment, South Korea is recorded to have had a 72.1 percent cancer survival rate between 2017 and 2021. With continuing developments in cancer treatments-such as breakthroughs in oncological drugs, liquid biopsies, and immunotherapy treatments-cancer survival rates are certain to rise across the globe. The key is early diagnosis and proper and accessible treatment, which starts with a fully capable oncological field that has ample government support for its research, operations, equipment, and manpower. Toward this end, this bill seeks to establish a National Cancer Center of the Philippines (NCCP), which would serve as the country's primary medical institution specializing in cancer, its treatment, and its prevention. The NCCP shall also be the center for medical and scientific research on cancer, as well as for the training and development of medical professionals specializing in oncology.

The establishment of the NCCP will advance cancer diagnosis and treatment among Filipinos, engendering an increase in cancer survivorship and ensuring that it is no longer the death sentence that the Filipino people perceive it to be. In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is urgently sought. /- WAN NGUEL F: ZUBIRS

TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session 25 J1L-9 33.58 SENATE Senate Bill No. _ 250 Introduced by Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri AN ACT ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL CANCER CENTER TO BE KNOWN AS THE NATIONAL CANCER CENTER OF THE PHILIPPINES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the "The National Cancer

Center of the Philippines (NCCP) Act."

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. The State shall establish, maintain and ensure

adequate health services to guarantee the well-being of every Filipino, and shall support scientific research and development that will advance medical diagnoses and treatment for various illnesses, particularly those most prevalent among the Filipino population.

SEC. 3. Creation of the National Cancer Center of the Philippines. There

10 is hereby created, under the supervision of the Department of Health, the National Cancer Center of the Philippines.

SEC. 4. Purpose and Objective. The NCCP shall have the following purpose and

objectives; (a) To construct, establish, equip, maintain, administer and operate such integrated medical institution or institutions that shall specialize in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care, rehabilitation and/or relief of cancer in all its kinds and forms; (b) To promote medical and scientific research relative to the prevention and treatment of cancer;

(c) To conduct fact-finding investigations on cancer and related fields throughout the country or elsewhere, and to report, publish and disseminate information on cancer; (d) To finance, sponsor, hold or participate in congresses, conventions, conferences, seminars, workshops and training programs on cancer and/or related fields in the Philippines or abroad; (e) To encourage and assist in the education and training of physicians, nurses, health officers, social workers and medical and technical personnel in the practical and scientific implementation of services to cancer patients; (f) To assist universities, hospitals and research institutions in their studies on cancer and other related fields, to encourage and grant scholarships for advanced training and specialization in oncology and related fields, and to support educational programs of value to general public health; and (g) To stimulate the formation of other organizations on the national, provincial, city and/or local levels, and to coordinate the various efforts and activities of such organization for the purpose of achieving a more effective approach to the common problem relative to the purposes and objectives enumerated herein.

SEC. 5. Powers of the NCCP. The NCCP as a corporate body acting through its

Board of Trustees, shall have the following powers and functions in addition to those provided for in other sections of this Act: (a) To adopt and use a corporate seal; (b) To sue and be sued in its corporate name; (c) To adopt its by-laws, rules and regulations as it may deem proper and necessary for implementation of the purposes and objectives of this Act; (d) To succeed by its corporate name, and to acquire and possess properties rights and interests of whatever kind and nature, and mortgage, pledge, alienate, encumber or otherwise dispose of the same; (e) To award, enter into, make, execute, perform and carry out domestic or foreign contracts of whatever kind and nature; (f) To invest in, and purchase or otherwise acquire, own, hold, use, lease, grant, mortgage, pledge, sell, assign, convey, transfer, exchange or otherwise deal with, real and/or personal properties of every kind and nature, including shares of stock, bonds, debentures, notes, securities and other evidences of

indebtedness or obligations of other corporations, whether domestic or foreign, and whether government or private; (g) To obtain loans, borrow funds, and/or arrange financing or credit assistance of whatever kind and nature from all sources, whether domestic or foreign and whether government or private, and to mortgage, pledge or otherwise encumber any of its properties, and assets for the purpose of securing or guaranteeing the performance or fulfillment of any obligations it may undertake for itself or for other entities in which it may be interested; (n) To levy, assess and collect such fees, charges and assessments as may be necessary or proper to support, finance and maintain its operations; and (i) To exercise such other power and functions as may be incidental or necessary to carry out the purposes and objectives of this Act.

SEC. 6. Board of Trustees. The National Cancer Center of the Philippines shall

be governed and its activities and properties to be directed, controlled and managed, by a Board of Trustees, which shall be composed of a Chairman and six (6) members, all of whom to be appointed by the President of the Philippines upon the recommendation of the Department of Health. The members of the Board of Trustees shall serve for a period of four (4) years and until their successors shall have been appointed to fill the vacancy shall hold office for the unexpired term of the member. Whenever a vacancy shall occur in the Board, the person appointed to fill the vacancy shall hold office for the unexpired term of the member. The Board shail elect a chairman from among themselves, who shall be presiding officer of the Board of Trustees. The Medical Director of the Philippine National Cancer Center shall serve as Vice-Chairman of the Board. Four (4) members of the Board of Trustees shall constitute a quorum to transact business and any decision of such four (4) members on an matter duly presented to the Board of Trustees shall constitute a valid and binding act of the National Cancer Center of the Philippines.

SEC. 7. Power and Functions of the Board. The Board shall have the following

powers and functions: (a) To formulate policies, guidelines and programs to effectively implement and carry out the purposes and objectives of this Decree; (b) To prescribe, review and revise the amount of the fees, charges, and assessments levied and collected for the supports and maintenance of the operations of the NCCP; (c) To control the management, operations, and administration of the NCCP; (d) To promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary or proper for the effective exercise of power and functions as well as the discharge of duties and responsibilities of the NCCP, its officers and employees; (e) To authorize such expenditures of the NCCP as may be necessary or proper for the effective management, operation and administration of the NCCP; (f) Upon the recommendation of the President of the NCCP, to determine and organize the NCCP's organizational and administrative structure or pattern, and to establish and fix, review, revise and adjust the appropriate compensation scheme of the officers and employees of the NCCP, with reasonable allowances, bonuses and other incentives as may be recommended by the President of the NCCP; (g) To adopt the annual and supplemental budget of receipts and expenditures of the NCCP; (h) To appoint, remove, suspend or otherwise discipline the officers of the NCCP occupying executive and senior management positions; (0) To exercise all the general powers necessary or incidental to the attainment of the purposes and objectives of this Act; and (i) To do any and all acts as may be necessary or proper for the attainment of the powers and functions of the NCCP.

SEC. 8. Government Contribution. The Government shall contribute the

necessary land, building, equipment, and facilities to the National Cancer Center of the Philippines.

SEC. 9. Property of the Center. The property of the National Cancer Center of

the Philippines shall consist of such real, personal, mixed, and other type of property, now owned and reserved for, or may hereafter be given, donated, acquired, transferred or conveyed to the National Cancer Center of the Philippines by the government, its

1 branches and instrumentalities, any foreign government, as well as by trust, foundations, 2 corporations, or persons, alien or domestic, in order to carry out its purposes and objectives as set forth herein.

SEC. 10. Tax Exemption on Donations, All donations, contributions, or

endowment which may be made by entities or persons to the National Cancer Center of the Philippines shall be exempt from income and gift taxes. The National Cancer Center of the Philippines shall be exempt from the payment of taxes, charges and fees imposed by the government or any political subdivision or instrumentality thereof.

SEC. 11. Assistance from Government Offices. The National Cancer Center

of the Philippines may call upon any department, bureau, offices, and agency or instrumentality of the Government, including government-owned or controlled corporations, for such assistance as it may need in the pursuit of purposes and objectives.

SEC. 12. Appropriations. The amount of one billion pesos is hereby

appropriated for the initial operation of the National Cancer Center of the Philippines which shall be charged to the appropriations of the Department of Health under the current General Appropriations Act. Thereafter, the necessary amount to support the continued operation and maintenance of the National Cancer Center of the Philippines shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 13. Auditing. The books of accounts of the National Cancer Center of the

Philippines shall be subject to periodic auditing by the Commission on Audit.

SEC. 14. Annual Report. The National Cancer Center of the Philippines shall

render to the Department of Health an annual report on its operations and accomplishments.

SEC. 15. Effect of Dissolution. If for any reason, the National Cancer Center of

the Philippines is dissolved, its properties and assets remaining at the time of such dissolution shall revert to the Philippine Government for disposition in accordance with the law.

SEC. 16. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act is held invalid or

unconstitutional the other provisions not so declared shall remain in force and effect.

SEC. 17. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamations

and administrative regulations or parts thereof inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 18. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. Approved,