An ordinance establishing an anti-breast cancer campaign program, was passed by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod on third and final reading yesterday.

The ordinance authored by Councilor Em Legaspi-Ang, said cancer is the third leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the country and the Philippines has the highest number of reported breast cancer incidence in Asia. It is also considered to have the ninth highest incident rate in the world today.

The ordinance said 26 females out of 100 and one male out of 105 may be diagnosed with breast cancer in the Philippines and survival rate of breast cancer in the country is below 50 percent and an estimated 70 percent of breast cancer patients in the Philippines are indigents.

This measure seeks to strengthen the world advocacy and awareness against the spread of breast cancer pursuant to the United Nations Millennium Development Goal of improving maternal health in order to end extreme world poverty by 2015, it said.

The ordinance also provides that the amount of P100,000 be earmarked annually from the general budget of the city for the regular trainings and seminars for Barangay Health Workers and the production of materials in relation to the prevention and early detection of breast cancer printed in Hiligaynon.*CGS

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