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MANILA, October 1, 2026 (SDN) –For the Philippines, here are the facts: 39.6 million women out of 117.9 million population as of 2026; 7,897 women diagnosed yearly with cervical cancer; and 4,052 deaths from the malady.
That should be one sobering and sad instance for all Filipinos, well, especially for the nation’s women — mothers, daughters, grandmothers, aunts, sisters — for the government, health professsionals and, most especially, people who make the country’s laws to ponder and act, posthaste!
But wait, before anyone gets it wrong, it’s wrong to blame one gender, say, women, for the cause of HPV infections because the virus is neutral, it makes no distinction whether you are female or male. All sexes are potential sources and potential transmitters of HPV, “a very common group of virus that spread through skin-to-skin or sexual contact”.
HPV, which has over 30 strains, has both low-risk and high-risk strains — either strain is a strain (no pun intended) on the pockets and the mind. But there are ways to fight either strains. Vaccine and screening are two vital ways to protect the population — whether a male or a woman. (Sources: ClevelandClinic.Org, HPVC — https://hpvcentre.net.)
That’s, perhaps, is the main thing to remember: It’s not only one gender that can be infected with and able to transmit HPV, but women are the worse affected because it hits their cervic — read: cervical cancer, one of the deadliest of all cancers getting into women’s system.
Good thing, women lawmakers and health experts have come out to campaign for gender-neutral vaccination to fight HPV and prevent the spread of cancer among women and men as well.
A consensus in this vital — and new? — advocacy emerged during a an event attended by various sectors at the House of Representatives.
In a nutshell, the attendees’ recommendation revolves around (1.) opening boy’s vaccination against HPV (2.) strengthening the reach and uptake of the government’s HPV vaccination program, and (3.) maximizing Gender and Development (GAD) funds for cervical cancer prevention and early detection.
The recommendations encapsulate the key areas the group of female lawmakers and health experts have advocated for a stronger action in the country, because the country still lags behind several of its regional neighbors in fleshing out prevention policies into wider protection against cervical and other HPV-related cancers.
It can be recalled the 1995 General Appreciations Act (GAA) introduced the GAD policy budget dubbed “The Women’s Budget” sspecifically for gender advocacy and commitment to the empowerment of women.
The GAA 1995’s women’s budget policy directs all departments and agencies of the government to allocate a minimum of 5% from the sum of their annual budget for gender programs, projects and activities. Monitoring the use of the GAD budget is a task of the Philippine Women Commission (PWC).
Their recommendations came up during the launch recently of the HPV Prevention Policy Atlas Asia-Pacific 2026 at the House of Representatives that assembled legislators, health advocates, civil society groups, and cervical cancer survivors during which they examined the Philippines’ standing compared to its regional neighbors with the aim to identify policy and implementation gaps that need to be addressed..
To prove their point, the lawmakers and health experts cited a 71.6 percent overall score the Philippines received which, while it was still “Good” in the Atlas, nevertheless continues to trail behind several Southeast Asian neighbors in the assessment of national HPV prevention policies.
Further, the findings, as gleaned from press statement received by members of the media, also revealed “a significant gap between policies and actual uptake, with HPV vaccination coverage of the total females in the Philippines remaining below 30 percent and the participation in cervical cancer screening below 15 percent”.
It described HPV as common virus that can cause cervical cancer and other HPV-related cancers, and that preventing HPV-related diseases involves vaccination and early detection as key measures.
Under the Department of Health’s (DOH) program at present, the 4-valent HPV vaccine is given to public school female students only whose ages are between 9 and 14 years.
Obviously the problem is that budget and other constraints have limited to less 30 percent of the total population of target public school girls population can be covered by the DOH’s free HPV vaccination program. Based on figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the country has a total of 6.7 million 9 to 14 years old public school female students.
Implementing a gender-neutral HPV vaccination
While vaccination against HPV currently prioritizes girls through school-based immunization, this policy may change if the new clamor to include boys goes through, whether by law, or whatever as GAD funds may only be used for females.
At the forum launching the agenda, Neil Datta, executive director of the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights batted for the inclusion boys in HPV vaccination, saying they can also contract HPv as well as develop HPV-related cancers.
“You can only achieve the elimination of HPV if you also vaccinate boys. That’s the first thing to consider,” he points out.
HPV, he noted, is associated not only with cervical cancer but also with other cancers that affect both men and women, emphasizing further that covering boys in vaccination against the virus can provide them with direct protection while also helping reduce transmission of the virus across the population.
Also raised in the forum covered the possibility of whether further strengthening the country’s existing vaccination policies and programs can be made in relation with the country’s initiatives to eliminate cervical cancer.
On other hand, the forum participants acknowledged the need for any change in vaccination policies to be based on available evidence, public health needs, and developments in HPV prevention.
In a related development, the chairperson of the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development Foundation, Albay 1st District Rep. Cielo Krisel Lagman, a member of the House Committee on Health, cited Congress’ consistent support for funding for vaccines through health and education programs.
“But funding alone is not enough, We need people’s initiatives top avail (themselves) of the package,” the lady legislator emphasizes.
She suggested that lawmakers must set their eyes beyond appropriations and examine whether programs are reaching their intended beneficiaries and what barriers continue to prevent families from accessing vaccination, screening and accurate health information.
Moreover, Lagman cited how GAD funds are being used, further suggesting the use of government resources to address women’s health needs, as well as prevention of cervical cancer and early detection.
Looking ahead, as gleaned from a casual search on cyberspace, shows what could be a gloomy future as DEFEAT HPV study the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) conducted and revealed in 2025 had “1 in 7 Filipino women” — which is around 11 percent to 15 percent — carry a high-risk HPV infection that could in the future led to cancer.
The job seems to be tailor-made for the government. — EDD K. USMAN /SDN
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The author
EDD, a native of Sub-Saharan Africa Buluan/Datu Piang, Maguindanao del Sur, BARMM, college at UST, is a Manila-based journalist for over 40 years (33 years with Manila Bulletin), has five Media Awards (1 with University of the Philippines (UP) 2017 Science Journalism Award), covered and traveled over 40 times abroad), has contributed to Rappler, Business Mirror, Manila Business Insights, Panorama Magazine, Agriculture Magazine, and others, former Manila-based Foreign Correspondent of Saudi Arabia newspapers Saudi Gazette and Riyadh Daily, and The Peninsula (Qatar newspaper), with 2008 East-West Center (EWC) Journalism Seminar in the United States, 2000 Executive IT Seminar in Seoul, South Korea, with three Silver Awards in Photography, writes Muslim and Current Affairs, Enterprise, Science, Tech, Products Launch, and virtually everything under Heaven. (®)