MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Friday led the inauguration of the Healthway Cancer Care Hospital (HCCH), the country’s first dedicated specialty hospital for cancer.

Marcos said the Taguig facility would “go a long way in improving access to quality cancer care for many Filipinos.”

“With the help of the HCCH, we can revolutionize the cancer care service industry in the Philippines through modern and state-of-the-art equipment, coupled with leading medical professionals and oncologists," Marcos said.

"It will certainly positively reflect on the country’s growing potential as a leading healthcare destination in Asia,” he said.

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Following the unveiling of the hospital’s marker, Marcos Jr. toured the facility, which has 100 beds, four specialized operating theaters, and two advanced endoscopy rooms.

The hospital has an expanded outpatient chemotherapy unit and an integrated outpatient department with a specialized women’s health center.

Marcos earlier witnessed the signing of the cooperation agreement between Ayala subsidiary AC Health and US-based Varian Medical Systems for the establishment of the HCCH at the sidelines of his participation in the APEC Summit in San Francisco, California earlier this month.

Through the partnership, “AC Health will establish the Healthway Cancer Care Hospital in the Philippines," Malacañang said.

This 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-modality cancer care technologies," the Palace said.

The Department of Health said cancer is the third leading cause of mortality among Filipinos.

“However, with facilities such as this, we will allow the main weapon that we have in combating cancer--early detection," said Marcos.

"Early detection allows for patients the best chance in fighting this disease. We therefore encourage all Filipinos to get regular check-ups now that we have the facilities by going to the community health centers,” he added.

Marcos noted that PhilHealth Konsulta provides free diagnostic examinations and laboratory tests. There are also 25 specialty centers in cancer care that Filipinos can access in select DOH hospitals nationwide.

“I encourage the public to maximize these programs, services, and facilities for cancer care, prevention, and treatment, as the government strives to bring healthcare closer to the people,” he said.

“We recognize that there are great financial burdens to cancer treatments. To ease the hardship of cancer patients and provide equitable access to healthcare, we have also established the Cancer Assistance Fund, which will pay for the cost of cancer diagnostics and laboratories not covered by PhilHealth," he said.