MAKATI CITY, PHILIPPINES – The Alliance for the Philippines’ Health and Advocacy (ALPHA) spearheaded by Philam Foundation in partnership with the Philippine College of Physicians and the Philippine College of Surgeons, collaborated with Cancer CARE Registry Philippines (CARE), and recently presented data gathered by their hospital-based cancer registry.
Cancer still remains as one of the primary causes of morbidity in the Philippines, with breast cancer as the leading cancer site among Filipinos. This was confirmed by the data gathered from over 5,700 patients from 10 CARE hospitals from different parts of the country. In this hospital-based cancer registry system, breast cancer is followed by colorectal and head and neck, cervical, prostate and lung cancers in decreasing rank of incidence, according to CARE. The first year results also showed that the other most common areas where cancer grows include the thyroid, uterus, kidney and in the blood, which includes leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
“CARE gathers the data from CARE-ALPHA member public and private hospitals around the country, which has grown to 20 as of late last year. With the passage of the National Integrated Cancer Law (RA 11215) that requires all clinics and hospitals to have their own cancer registry, we are optimistic that we’ll have richer and more robust data to share in the future,” said Max Ventura, President of Philam Foundation.
The data is analyzed and serves as a key driver for further research which can eventually influence patient care, public health policies, drug development, and other epidemiological research and activities. “The most recent available data on cancer from the Global Cancer Network or GLOBOCAN states that there were an estimated 141,021 new cases of cancer (Male 62,002 and Female 79,019) in the Philippines in 2018,” according to Dra. Beatrice J. Tiangco, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CARE Philippines. “With the data we gather, through the continued support of the ALPHA initiative of Philam Foundation, we can explore ways on how to give cancer patients better access to medical support and assistance,” she added.
“Our hope is that we get a clearer picture of the cancer situation in the country and help the Filipino cancer patients in their journey, as well as contribute to cancer control and prevention. Philam Foundation will continue to support future initiatives of CARE, through the ALPHA consortium, to champion more advocacies that will contribute to better patient care and management, helping more Filipinos live healthier, longer and better lives,” said Philam Foundation Chairman Aibee Cantos.
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About Philam Life
The Philippine American Life and General Insurance Company (Philam Life) is the country’s premier life insurance company. Established on 21 June 1947, Philam Life has earned the trust of customers for its financial strength, strong brand name, and ability to deliver on its promises.
Philam Life has PHP251.4 billion in total assets as of 31 December 2017, while serving almost 600,000 individual policyholders and over 2,200,000 insured group members.
Philam Life understands the needs of its customers and provides holistic solutions that include life protection, health insurance, savings, education, retirement, investment, group, and credit life insurance. It also offers bancassurance and fund management products and services through its subsidiaries—BPI-Philam Life Assurance Company (BPLAC) and Philam Asset Management Inc. (PAMI).
Philam Life is a member of AIA Group Limited, the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group.
About the Philam Group
The Philam Group comprises the biggest life insurance company in the Philippines. By putting its customers at the center of its operations, the Philam Group has earned the trust of its stakeholders and has achieved continued growth over the years.
The Philam Group was formed with the mission of empowering Filipinos to achieve financial security and prosperity. Through its strong network, it is able to offer financial solutions such as life protection, health insurance, savings, education, retirement, investment, group and credit life insurance, and fund management products and services.
After the establishment of Philam Life in 1947, the Philam Group has since expanded to include other affiliate companies, namely: BPI-Philam Life Assurance Company (BPLAC), Philam Asset Management Inc. (PAMI), Philam Call Center, and Philam Foundation.
Based on the Insurance Commission results as of 31 December 2017, the combined total premium income of Philam Life and BPLAC is at PHP40.2 billion, making it the market leader in the Philippines based on total premium income. Its strength and stability is further solidified with its top rank in terms of assets at PHP251.4 billion and net worth at PHP69.5 billion. It is a member of AIA Group Limited, the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group.
About AIA
AIA Group Limited and its subsidiaries (collectively “AIA” or the “Group”) comprise the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group. It has a presence in 18 markets in Asia-Pacific – wholly-owned branches and subsidiaries in Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, New Zealand, Macau, Brunei, Cambodia, a 97 per cent subsidiary in Sri Lanka, a 49 per cent joint venture in India and a representative office in Myanmar.
The business that is now AIA was first established in Shanghai a century ago in 1919. It is a market leader in the Asia-Pacific region (ex-Japan) based on life insurance premiums and holds leading positions across the majority of its markets. It had total assets of US$230 billion as of 31 December 2018.
AIA meets the long-term savings and protection needs of individuals by offering a range of products and services including life insurance, accident and health insurance and savings plans. The Group also provides employee benefits, credit life and pension services to corporate clients. Through an extensive network of agents, partners and employees across Asia-Pacific, AIA serves the holders of more than 33 million individual policies and over 16 million participating members of group insurance schemes.
AIA Group Limited is listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited under the stock code “1299” with American Depositary Receipts (Level 1) traded on the over-the-counter market (ticker symbol: “AAGIY”).
Media Contact:
Abbie L. Remo
Philam Life Head of Corporate Communications and PR
Telephone: +(632) 521 6300 local 2812
Email: Abbie-D.Remo@aia.com
