About me
Hello everyone! I’m Dang.
Thank you for dropping by. Welcome to my humble zone.
I’m a breast cancer patient fighting for my rights to live. I created gonaturalway.com to show that BIG C is not the end of the world. But a beginning of a fight and a new life. I encourage those who are at the same shoes to fight even if you feel exhausted, even your wallet was drained. That, there are reason to fight back and a reason not to give up. Cheers!
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How to find help if you are a cancer patient? Cancer is a chronic disease. Meaning it is constantly recurring so it can drain you financially just what happened to me.
After surgery, I found out that my cancer case is TRIPLE POSITIVE. Prior to the last examination, it was ER/PR positive and HER2 Negative which was based on the core needle biopsy. But from the main specimen (taken from the lump after surgery) It was HER2 Positive( Aggressive) So the doctors need to adjust the medicine to fight the aggressiveness of the cancer cells.
We need to add targeted therapy as part of my protocol. Trastuzumab under the name of Herceptine is the targeted therapy to be used for HER2 neu. It is given to those with a triple positive case. The price of this medicine is a bit pricey ranging from 16,000 to 18,000 pesos per 15 ml vial. If you are well prepared for this disease, then you are lucky. But in my case, this is a big burden that I need to face.
You may want to know the exercise after mastectomy? Click here.
The Doctor told me that I need 2 vials ( 30 ml) per session for 18 shots of trastuzumab that could be given every 21 days. It means I need to prepare 34 thousand pesos for just 2 vials of medicine alone. Aside from that, the expenses for laboratory and doctors fee are a bunch of burden for me. Don’t get upset reading the said expenses, this should not hesitate you to come to your doctor and ask for help.
In this article, I will share with you how to find help in your medical expenses.
How to find help if you are sick or a cancer patient?
1. Go to Malasakit Center
It was founded by senator Bong Go to uplift the medical system in our country. It was a big help not just for a cancer patient as well for ordinary sickness. All expenses like a laboratory, hospital services, a check-up can be catered by Malasakit Center.
Each government hospital has its office that can transact anytime.
How to find help at Malasakit Center? You just need to present the following documents.
- Medical Certificate. Accomplished and signed by your doctors.
- Laboratory request and bill. Go to the laboratory department and present your request. Told them that you need the bill for the use of Malasakit. They will give you a copy of the request and the bill. They keep the original copy for their documentation
- An accomplished form that will be given to you from the Malaskit Center.
If this is your first time to ask for assistance, they will conduct an interview and family background.
- Resident Certificate with the purpose of Medical assistance. This is not mandatory. But it is better to make it ready on hand so that if they think to ask, you have it ready. Sometimes, they don’t ask for it.
2.Office of the Congressman, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Councilors
You can ask for help from their office because basically, they allot a budget to help their constituent. How to find help from their office? Just present a copy and original copy of the following documents for an easy transaction:
- Medical certificate or Clinical Abstract, duly signed by your doctors.
- Residence Certificate stating the purpose for Medical assistance
- Identification Card. It should be a government ID, like an SSS ID, Driver’s license, and others.
Present a copy and the original for their verification. The interview will be done as part of the process. It is just a one-day process. A guarantee letter can be given to you that you need to duplicate and pass to the health office of the hospital for approval. Don’t worry, you just need the stamp that can be done in the health office.
The stamped documents will be the one to present to access free medicine, free laboratory, and service. You can repeat asking for their assistance after 3 months.
3. City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD)
This is a government office under DSWD. If you are living in a progressive city, the government has assigned CSWD to cater to the needs of constituents before asking for DSWD. You can ask for medical assistance, livelihood, and burial from CSWD. But for medical assistance, you have to accomplish the following documents:
- Clinical abstract signed by your doctors.
- Identification card.
- Resident Certificate with the purpose of Medical assistance clearly indicated.
- Interview and assessment by the social worker.
The documents should be in a triplicate copy for their documentation.
In the case that the CSWD is already run out of budget, then it’s time to ask for the Department of Social Welfare and Development ( DSWD). The requirements are the same. But be ready for a long line of waiting. The office hour is from 8 am to 5 pm. You need to go early because they only cater 80- 100 people per day. They can give cash or guarantee letter whichever you preferred.
4. Philippine Charity Sweepstake Office or PCSO.
PCSO is one of the government offices that you can ask for medical assistance. You can ask them repeatedly as long as you can provide your documents. You just need to present an original and a copy of the following
- Clinical Abstract signed by your doctors.
- Laboratory result (previous result like a biopsy, CT- scan, etc.)
- Accomplished form from PCSO
- Residence Certificate of low income or with the purpose of medical assistance.
Once accomplished, they will instruct you to wait for 2 weeks. The Agent from the pharmaceutical company will call you if the medicine is already available. You will meet them at the PCSO office to get availed of medicine.
5. Office of the Senator
The senators’ office is open for those who will ask for medical assistance. You need to write them through email or mail them a letter stating your situation.
How to find help in the office of the senator? These are the following requirements that you need to provide.
- Medical Certificate
- Certificate of Barangay Indigency
- Identification of patient and companion
- Request procedure with quotation
- Letter to the senator
They can give you a guarantee letter that can help you with your laboratory, medicine, and any medical procedure.
Here are the email lists of some senator that you can ask for help:
| Medical.osimeemarcos@gmail.com |
| Nickyalontosenate@gmail.com |
| Senmigzzubiri@gmail.com |
| Sencynthiavillar@gmail.com |
| Os_frankdrilon@yahoo.com |
| Senatorjoelvillanueva@gmail.com |
| Senbgconcerns@gmail.com |
| Risahq@gmail.com |
| Ospml@yahoo.com |
| Sensonnyangara@yahoo.com |
| Senalanpetercayetano.1028@gmail.com |
| Email@wingatchalian.com |
| Os_sotto@yahoo.com |
| Media.batodelarosa@gmail.com |
| Sen@bongrevilla.ph |
| Senatorkoko@kokopimentel.org |
And to post a mail, you can check their respective address here:
http://legacy.senate.gov.ph/contact17thcongress.asp
Note: I posted a mail for 12 senators trying for help. I don’t want to mention their name here. Three of them replied and gave me a guarantee letter that can be used in a hospital bill. They are:
1.Sen. Bato Dela Rosa
He gave me 20,000 worth of guarantee letter. I used the said GL for my laboratory and hospital bill.
2.Sen. Win Gatchalian
He gave me 3000 worth of guarantee letter
3.Sen. Trillanes
He gave me 5000 worth of guarantee letter
Apart from the mentioned senators, Sen Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, together with President Rodrigo Duterte founded the Malasakit Center which aids the Filipino people in their medical expenses.
So, now that you have the idea on how to find help if you are a cancer patient or suffering from any sickness, there’s no reason to hold back in getting to the hospital and cure your disease.
15 replies on “Cancer is draining my wallet! How to find help to sustain the medication?”
This is so helpful. I just sent this to my partner as it is indeed a struggle to pay for hospital bills. Do you think they could help even if it is not cancer? Like bypass surgeries? 🙂
Yes, even not a cancer case can ask for help. Just present the requirements and boom, they give good discounts and sometimes free of charge for a public hospital.
Dhang sana noon panahon NG kapatid q meron NG ganyan sana nandito p Cia. Keep up your blogs continue helping people Tru your blog can be survive and take good care too..
Wow, this is very very helpful. Thank you for this. My immediate family is planning for my dad’s bypass operation and honestly we do not have the funds for all that. With this blog, it’s giving me the confidence that we can indeed ask our officials for help. I can’t thank you enough. Stay healthy always. You are blessed.
Thank you. Sending a prayer for your Dad’s operation.
Thank you for this post. It’s very helpful, especially since a lot of filipinos dont have access to hmos! First time I’ve heard of these agencies!
I was already very worried reading the first part and imagining the expenses and where to source the funds. Mabuti naman nakakatulong financially ang ibang senators plus pa the Malasakit Center. Keep safe and strong!
Reading your post reminds me of my personal experience when my brother then was diagnosed with brain cancer. It was a long tough 2years, and we have to do all the long processes, lots of papers to be submitted, sweat and tears, including heaps of red tape just to get assistance from many politician offices.
My family is grateful for the help that we got (big and small). But that gives my family a tough lesson in life – that we can’t rely on the so-called ‘welfare’. We have to look after ourselves.
This is so helpful especially for those who really need it. I wish the health system of the Philippines will improve so people can have free medical check-ups and they can monitor their health especially those who have medical family issues like cancer and others.
true it is really draining.. kahit nga hindi cancer eh.. any sickness actually… some starts go funding also right? or nag fundraising with selling goods – food and non food items, dati meron pang mga block screeening especially if popular yung film na lalabas. kaya if kaya naman, kung di kaya tumulong ng malaking cash, if me pa fund raising for a certain person, support na lang kasi little as the cash we shell out there, it will definitely be a BIG help and will go a long way
OMG! I didn’t know na may ganito. Thank you so much for writing about this. I’ve sent this to my mom baka makatulong din kay lola ko. It is nice pala noh na our senators have initiatives to help. THis is very helpful! I have also sent this to my dad this morning.
This is a really helpful post. Would also share this to my friends with similar situation. Thank you and I hope you get well sooner. 🙂
2 years ago, we lost our aunt to cervical cancer. And right after that, I got too paranoid after witnessing tough times especially when it comes to medical expenses we bought health insurance to secure any unforeseen circumstances and save our family from financial burden just in case. This somewhat provides us peace of mind and comfort knowing that we can focus on getting better and not to worry about medical expenses during difficult time.
ask ko lng po ung smga senators po ba kahit sa private hospital ka ngpcheck up tutulungn ka po nila although ung iba nmn po ntry ko ng lapitan
Hello, yes po. Regardless of hospital you are into, they will help you. Go na and ask, lapit na eleksyon, baka lalo silang ganahang tumulong