VILLAR BATS FOR INCREASED REPRODUCTIVE
HEALTH AWARENESS AMONG FILIPINOS
Lauds the move of the Senate Committee on Health to prioritize
legislative measures concerning reproductive health

Two legislative measures of Senator Manny Villar, Chairman of the Nacionalista Party, were among the 21 bills heard by the Senate Committee on Health and Demography on Thursday (June 29) concerning various aspects of reproductive health.

Villar's bills are Senate Bill 610 or an act establishing a program for public education on prostate cancer and Senate Bill 2303 or an act establishing an ovarian cancer public awareness campaign.

"The recent decades have given rise to the reproductive system-related diseases such as prostate cancer and ovarian cancer. We should establish a program to educate the public and increase Filipinos awareness on these diseases to aid prevention and cure," says Villar.

Villar cites on his bills, "Ovarian cancer causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. When it is diagnosed and treated in its early stages, the survival rate is 95%, which decreases to 30% in latter stages. Prostate cancer has become the one of the leading causes of death among Filipino males since 25% of men afflicted with it eventually die."

Based on statistics from the Philippine Cancer Society, there were 3,283 ovarian cancer cases and 4,254 prostate cancer cases last year. It was also estimated that 1,918 Filipinas died of ovarian cancer and 2,571 Filipino males died of prostate cancer last year.

"Early diagnosis and detection play a key role in battling ovarian and prostate cancer. In fact, experts recommend that men 40 years or older should undergo periodic testing for the early detection of prostate cancer. Women are likewise encouraged to undergo periodic testing for ovarian cancer particularly since its symptoms are vague and are often mistaken for other common afflictions or conditions," further cites Villar.