Reggie Mutia Lambo Drilon, cervical cancer survivor, outspoken patient rights advocate, and current president of the Cancer Survivors Organization at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), is calling the attention of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. to the plight of cancer patients, particularly female patients battling cervical cancer who are highly dependent on the government’s cancer health services for their treatment and survival.

In an open letter to the President that Ms. Drilon published on their organization’s Facebook Page, just in time for the 5^th anniversary of the enactment of the National Integrated Cancer Control Act (NICCA), she spoke of her hope that the President will recognize the physical, emotional, and financial burden of cancer and find the means to help the many Filipinas who are already afflicted, as well as those who will still be afflicted, by the disease.

“Pagbabakuna ng mas marami pa, malawak na screening para sa mga kababaihan, at sapat na suporta sa mga hindi naiwasan ang kanser at kasalukuyang nakikipaglaban sa sakit na ito ang aming idinudulog sa inyo (Vaccination for many more [women and girls], expanded screening, and sufficient support for the patients who contracted cancer and are currently struggling to manage the disease, these are what we petition from you),” she implored the President.

She harked back to her personal experience as a cervical cancer survivor, describing a decade-long pain-filled fight that rendered her unable to work and mired in debt—a common plight for many cancer patients. She also spoke of how cancer impacts the lives of not just the female cancer patients like her, but also the extended networks that provide what little support they can, only to feel helpless when the person they cherish—mother, wife, sister, friend—struggles to recover her health, or worst-case scenario, loses her life.

Cervical cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer among Filipino women, said Ms. Drilon. Moreover, 11 women die from the disease on a daily basis; she says her own sister was one of the women lost to cancer. She expressed regret for learning too late that some types of cancer can be prevented, and that there is a vaccine that would have kept them both safe from cervical cancer.

“Dinggin nyo po sana ang aming hinaing, bigyan po sana ninyo ng importansya ang sakit na cancer upang maiwasang dumami pa ang kababaihan na magkaroon nito o kaya’y lumala pa ang karamdaman (Please hear our plea, and give importance to cancer so that we prevent more women from contracting the disease, or from experiencing worsened symptoms and progressively deteriorating health due to the disease),” said Ms. Drilon.

This Cancer Awareness Month of February, Ms. Drilon is raising awareness of the challenges experienced by cervical cancer patients, but also of the very real possibility that more women and girls will be saved through effective preventive measures such as expanded coverage for vaccination and screening, as well as quality and affordable cancer care, under a well-funded government initiative. The NICCA serves as the framework for all cancer-related activities of the government, including the National Cancer Control Program and the Cancer Assistance Fund.

“Isa lang po ako sa maraming umaasa sa benepisyo ng National Integrated Cancer Control Act ng Pilipinas. Umaasa po kami na magkakaroon ng Bagong Pilipinas para sa amin, at para sa iba pang pasyenta ng cancer na nangangailangan pa. (I am just one of many who are counting on the benefits under the National Integrated Cancer Control Act of the Philippines. We are hopeful that there will be a New Philippines for us, and for the cancer patients who still need assistance)” said Ms. Drilon.

Read the complete letter on: https://bitly.ws/3d5Xn.

Ms. Drilon’s petition is aligned with the global initiative for cervical cancer elimination devised by the World Health Organization, where 90% of girls should be fully vaccinated with HPV vaccine by 15 years of age by 2030; 70% of women are screened with a high-performance test by 35 years of age and again by 45 years of age; and 90% of women identified with cervical disease receive treatment (90% of women with precancer treated, and 90% of women with invasive cancer managed). After a slow start during the pandemic, the Philippines needs to accelerate its efforts to meet these targets. ###

Are you struggling to keep your blood pressure in check despite medications and lifestyle changes? Turning off some kidney nerves might just be for you.

At a recent medical consensus forum titled ‘Renal Denervation: A Blood Pressure Procedure,’ top hypertension specialists and interventionalists spotlight a new and promising approach for managing difficult-to-treat high blood pressure. The event was organized by the Philippine Society of Hypertension and the Philippine Heart Association, with support from Medtronic.

Over the years, hypertension continues to be a health crisis in the Philippines. It is estimated that nearly every family is touched by high blood pressure in some way. Based on recent studies, 7 out of 10 older Filipinos are living with high blood pressure.

With a high salt diet, coupled with a sedentary lifestyle, excess weight, and inadequate primary prevention care, hypertension has remained challenging to control for many Filipinos – a problem compounded by low health literacy on maintaining healthy blood pressure.

Alarmingly, about 20-35% of patients have resistant hypertension-meaning their BP remains uncontrolled despite taking three or more blood pressure pills.

“Hypertension is a silent killer here in the Philippines, leading to strokes, kidney failure, heart attacks. Unfortunately, some patients do not respond well to treatments even with multiple medications,” said Dr. Dolores Bonzon, President of the Philippine Society of Hypertension.

Hypertension experts, nephrologists, cardiologists and interventionalists from leading medical institutions convene for the first Philippine consensus forum on Renal Denervation as an innovative treatment approach for difficult-to-control high blood pressure. The forum marks an important milestone in evaluating the potential for this therapy amid rising rates of resistant hypertension across the country.

The future of hypertension treatment

Luckily, this might not be the case anymore. Now, an innovative blood pressure-lowering therapy called Renal Denervation (RDN) is making waves in medical communities worldwide, offering new hope for millions of people struggling to control their blood pressure.

Designed for patients who do not respond well to conventional treatments, this 1 hour minimally invasive procedure uses radiofrequency energy to disable nerves surrounding the arteries to the kidneys that send signals to increase blood pressure. Disrupting these nerves helps relax the blood vessels, leading to a lasting decrease in blood pressure within 48 hours after the RDN procedure.

“We’ve seen remarkable and long-term blood pressure reductions in patients treated with Renal Denervation. Many also felt improvement in their outlook and quality of life.” Said Dr. Jhoanna Marcelo, an Interventional Cardiologist from the Philippine Heart Center who has successfully performed multiple RDN procedures herself.

In focus: Dr. Jhoanna Marcelo shares her expertise in conducting renal denervation procedure and it’s impact on patients with other comorbidities like chronic kidney diseases.

This novel approach to controlling high blood pressure expands choices beyond just pills and diet and exercise for patients with lifetime maintenance medications for hypertension.

“With better blood pressure despite less medication, patients were able to exercise without fear of blood pressure spikes and fewer risks for strokes.”

Is it safe? Is it good for you?

Thanks to the recent development of a consensus statement and guidelines for using Renal Denervation in the Philippines, more medical doctors now have a solid framework for offering this innovative treatment to suitable patients.

“The procedure is proven safe based on studies. Early patient cases locally have already shown remarkable results, too. Most importantly, the guidelines clearly describe which patients can benefit most from getting this treatment.” Said Dr. Raymond Oliva, a Hypertension Specialist at Philippine General Hospital and one of the authors of the Consensus Statement for Renal Denervation Treatment.

Renal Denervation is recommended for the following patients:

• Uncontrolled blood pressure
• Unwilling or unable to adhere to medication due to side effects or intolerance
• Higher risks for stroke, diabetes, heart failure, and other cardiovascular diseases
• Willing to undergo RDN

Currently, Renal Denervation procedure is available in the following institutions in the country: Philippine Heart Center, St. Luke’s Medical Center, Cardinal Santos Medical Center, Manila Doctors Hospital, ManilaMed Medical Center Manila, Asian Hospital and Medical Center, and Cebu Doctors University Hospital.

Start a conversation today. You have nothing to lose and potential years to gain. To learn more about how Renal Denervation can help reduce blood pressure, discuss your options with your physician or cardiologist.

Representatives from Philippine Society of Hypertension and the Philippine Heart Association, professional medical societies, and leading hospitals unite to advance a comprehensive dialogue for the first time about the potential role of renal denervation in managing hypertension.

References:

1. Abalos, J. B., Saito, Y., Ramos, M. A., Jr, & Cruz, G. T. (2024). Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, and Control of Hypertension Among Older Adults in the Philippines. The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, 79(2), glad155. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glad155
2. Oliva, R., & Bakris, G. L. (2022). Resistant hypertension: recognition and treatment. In Springer eBooks (pp. 351–366). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95734-6_25

The Philippine Cement Industry has faced challenges in past few years. With a challenging business environment brought about by increasing imports, cement dumping from other countries, struggling demand, and the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Philippine cement manufacturers have continued to ensure that supply and quality cement products are available to every Filipino.

Over the past few years, the local cement industry has invested in additional capacity to make sure that the industry has adequate supply to provide for the nation’s cement demand. Local manufacturers are investing in additional capacity totaling to 17 million tons per annum (MTPA) over the last 5 years – San Miguel Group +6 MTPA, Taiheiyo +3 MTPA, Republic +2 MTPA, Cemex +1.5 MTPA, Holcim +1.4 MTPA, and other players +3 MTPA). This brings total local cement production capacity to 53 MT in 2024 while demand continues to contract and currently forecasted to rest at ~34.5 MT in 2024.

In addition to these investments to expand capacity, local manufacturers have also invested heavily in reducing the carbon footprint in its operations to make its operations more sustainable and they have introduced products and solutions in the market that have lower carbon footprint compared to the traditional imported cement brought into the Philippines which have higher carbon footprint.

Despite the more than adequate supply, the industry continues to be plagued by the continuing influx of imports, mostly from VietNam, despite the imposition of dumping duties to certain manufacturers and exporters. Importers brought in close to 7 million tons (MT) in 2023, which was even higher than 2022.  This figure is expected to rise even further as the Vietnamese cement market contracts by 6% and they look towards exports to improve industry performance, with local manufacturers calling for a reduction on export taxes levied on cement. This indicates that more imports are on their way to be dumped in the Philippines in the coming months, further causing serious injury to the already beleaguered Philippine cement industry.

The local cement industry contributes significantly to the Philippine economy, accounting for at least 1% of the GDP.  The domestic industry has invested several billions in the country’s manufacturing sector, generates an estimated 130,000 direct and indirect jobs and contributes a multiplier of around 3x to the economy plus it generates more tax revenues for the government compared to importers of cement. 

More than its contributions to the economy and the construction industry, local cement manufacturers have also added value in improving the country’s health and safety industrial standards, environmental stewardship, and participates heavily in the country’s growing circular economy.

As it stands, the Philippine cement industry has been forced to downscale operations as imports continue to cannibalize the market, and in certain cases lay off workers due to the worsening market situation. With the projected increase of cement imports, local manufacturers will be forced to further downscale operations until demand recovers or importers cease dumping and exploiting the local market.

To directly address the threats from imported cement, the Philippine cement industry through the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CEMAP) and Eagle Cement Corporation, in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), continues to push its Buy Local, Build Lokal campaign. The campaign encourages the individual Filipino consumer as well as local developers to exercise sustainable business judgment and do their part in protecting the Philippine domestic industry by prioritizing the use of locally manufactured cement.

In this spirit, the Philippine government has also issued a strong statement for government to prefer and prioritize procuring locally manufactured cement for government infrastructure projects. By starting with government-led consumption, which accounts for 40% of total demand, this will reduce reliance on imported products, encourage investments in the sector, create and maintain thousands of jobs, generate more tax revenues, significantly save the country’s dollar reserves, and ultimately support the growth of the industry and boost economic development.

With public and private sectors working side by side through the Buy Local, Build Lokal program and through the implementation of government measures designed to protect the local industry from the socioeconomic damage of imports, the Philippine cement manufacturing industry just might have a fighting chance this coming 2024.