CITING the importance of collective action and sustained systems strengthening to improve cancer outcomes for all, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has just forged a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the City Cancer Challenge (C/Can), marking a shared commitment to advancing equitable, accessible, and high-quality cancer care in the city.
“This partnership with City Cancer Challenge, an international non-profit organization, is a significant step toward strengthening our collective response to cancer. By working closely with local and international partners, we aim to make quality cancer care more accessible and equitable for every Filipino,” Belmonte said.
Isabel Mestres, City Cancer Challenge CEO, said the C/Can in Quezon City will work hand-in-hand with local and national partners to co-create tailored, scalable solutions that strengthen cancer care services and advance equitable access to quality care across the Philippines.
To date, C/Can has worked with three cities in the region: Greater Petaling (Malaysia), Yangon (Myanmar) and Phnom Penh (Cambodia). C/Can in Quezon City will also be supported by the Philippine Cancer Society, Inc. (PCSI), a key stakeholder in advancing accessible, quality cancer care from the ground up.
City Cancer Challenge said it’s honored to welcome Quezon City as its seventeenth city, joining a global movement of urban leaders committed to reimagining the future of cancer care.
DHSUD, QC to start in-city rental housing for ISFs
The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the city government have signed two memorandums of agreement (MOAs) that would pave the way for rental housing for informal settler families (ISFs) including those living along waterways and danger zones.
DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling said the agency will support the construction of medium-rise buildings within areas in Sauyo and Bagong Silangan districts identified by the local government for rental housing modality under the expanded ‘Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino’ (4PH) program.
The MOAs were the results of last year’s exploratory meeting between Aliling and Belmonte, who expressed full support to DHSUD’s push for rental housing scheme under the national government’s housing program in the city.
