Women living in Marikina City can now avail themselves of free testing for breast cancer, part of the first community-based awareness campaign which aims to reduce the increasing number of cases in the Philippines.

Dubbed “Ating Dibdibin,” the program was launched on June 6 by the city government led by Mayor Marides Fernando, breast cancer advocacy group ICanServe Foundation, and pharmaceutical company Pfizer.

Catering to women aged 20 to 75, the program seeks to fight ignorance and the fear many women have of cancer, and to make breast self-examination a lifetime habit. “Ating Dibdibin” is considered timely and critically important for a country with the highest incidence of breast cancer in Southeast Asia.

During the launch, Mayor Fernando encouraged women to regularly examine their breasts for signs of cancer such as lumps. “A breast self-examination could save lives especially if the cancer is detected in its early stages,” she said.

Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala, founding president of IcanServe and herself a cancer survivor, echoed Mayor Fernando’s sentiment, adding, “We ultimately want women to take charge of their health.”

Female government employees were also given free breast screening during the launch. Sixteen doctors from as many barangay health centers in Marikina conducted the breast exam.

To prepare for the program, ICanServe, with the help of Dr. Corazon Ngelangel, oncologist and cancer screening advocate, trained the medical staff and barangay and family health workers on early breast cancer detection techniques so they can subsequently teach the female residents of Marikina.

The city government pledged to share in the medical expenses of residents who may need to undergo treatment for the disease. Mayor Fernando added that the local government is planning to raise funds to buy a mammography machine to provide residents with a more accurate way of testing for breast cancer.

“Ating Dibdibin” is a program under the auspices of the American Cancer Society made possible by a grant from Pfizer Foundation USA and Pfizer Philippines.