The Philippines has a huge fight against breast cancer. We have, among other Asian countries, the highest incidence of the disease—that one in every 13 Filipino women is expected to develop the disease in her lifetime, according to the Philippine Cancer Society.
But experts said the strongest defense and weapon against breast cancer is early detection.
“Breast cancer cannot be prevented but the risk can be lowered by changing our lifestyle. Our best defense is still early detection. This is the goal of our Pink Ribbon Campaign, to promote breast cancer awareness and early detection,” said Dr. Melanie Cruz, secretary of the Philippine Breast Cancer Society.
Pink Ribbon for Breast Cancer is an annual event held in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month every October. The opening activity was held at the event center of SM City San Lazaro and was spearheaded by the Philippine Breast Cancer Society and SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Prime Holdings. It was supported by the Department of Health.
Attended by hundreds of women, advocates, and volunteer doctors, this year’s Pink Ribbon for Breast Cancer focused on educational talks and sharing of experiences by breast cancer warriors.
DOH cancer control program manager Dr. Clarito Cairo conducted a talk on the importance of breast cancer awareness, and at the same time taught women how to detect and be protected against the risk.
“Every year, the number of patients suffering from breast cancer continues to rise. This is why we hold the Pink Ribbon for Breast Cancer yearly, to continue educating women that early detection and early intervention is very important,” asserted SM Cares Program on Women and Breastfeeding director Bernadette Velasco.
Suzi Entrata-Abrera hosted the event, and inspirational talks from film director Bibeth Orteza and actress Melissa de Leon—both well-known breast cancer survivors—were featured. Free clinical breast examination was also administered by volunteer health professionals.
Pink Ribbon for Breast Cancer is also happening on Oct. 15 at the event center of SM City Telabastagan.
The Philippine Breast Cancer Society, founded in 2009, is a medical organization dedicated solely to the management of breast cancer. Its members are made up of doctors under different specialties who are kept up-to-date on breast cancer management through annual Breast Cancer Symposium.
Other SM Cares initiatives for women include institutionalizing breastfeeding stations across all SM Supermalls nationwide. In August, SM Cares Program on Women supported breastfeeding Pinays and DOH in the annual celebration of “Hakab Na!” in observance of Breastfeeding Awareness Month.
