AC Health and Varian Medical Systems embarked Wednesday on a groundbreaking partnership to improve access to quality cancer care in the Philippines.

The signing of the cooperation agreement was witnessed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel on the sidelines of his participation to the 2023 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in San Francisco, California.

“The initiative is a vital stride in the fight against cancer, and it reflects the Philippines’ growing potential as a leading healthcare destination in Asia,” he said during the signing.

The parties will share their expertise in establishing and running the Philippines’ first dedicated specialty oncology hospital to ensure an efficient way of delivering services to patients and making cancer care more accessible to Filipinos.

Through the partnership, AC Health will establish the Healthway Cancer Care Hospital in the Philippines, which will serve as a network of oncology clinics throughout Metro Manila aimed at providing cancer patients access to comprehensive cancer care utilizing Varian’s state-of-the-art and multi-modalitycancer care technologies.

Among the signatories include Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala of the Ayala Corp., AC Health CEO and President Paolo Borromeo, Varian Philippines President and Managing Director Heinz-Michael Horst Schmermer, and Varian’s Advanced Oncology Solutions Vice President Chuck Lindley.

In 2023, cancer is the third leading cause of death in the Philippines, with about 141,021 new cancer cases and 86,337 cancer deaths every year.

To boost cancer control efforts and reduce the burden of the disease, the Philippines enacted Republic Act No. 11215, or the National Integrated Cancer Control Act in February 2019.

As of November 2023, the Department of Health (DOH) is set to establish 16 Cancer Care Specialty Centers nationwide. PND