Speaker, senators to grace Roche-backed First PH Patients Congress

MANILA, July 25, 2024 – House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Senators Risa Hontiveros and Raffy Tulfo will lead an honored group of personalities gracing the first Philippine Patients Congress on August 29 to 30 at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) offices in Mandaluyong City.

Previously scheduled from July 25 to 26, the event was postponed owing to the effects of Typhoon Carina.

With the theme “Hand in Hand for Universal Health Care,” the Congress is organized by the Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations (PAPO) and co-presented by Roche (Philippines) Inc. and other stakeholders such as the government, academe, healthcare groups, and the business community

Romualdez is slated to deliver the keynote address on Day 1 of the two-day event, which is expected to add value to Filipino patients across the country on several fronts, following a strong directive supporting healthcare, including liver cancer patients, by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the last State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Hontiveros is also scheduled to deliver a message of support, as the Congress hopes to open avenues for further partnership and capacity building based on the learnings from the event. Tulfo, meanwhile, is slated to deliver the closing remarks on Day 2 of the Congress.

Other dignitaries expected at the event include Ms. Durhane Wong-Rieger, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Canadian Organizations for Rare Disorders; Philippine Health Insurance Corp. President and CEO Emmanuel Ledesma Jr., Quirino Gov. Dakila Carlo E. Cua, Bataan Gov. Jose Enrique S. Garcia III, Marikina Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo, Tingog Party-List Rep. Jude Acidre, and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Watch convenor Orlando Oxales.

Cua also heads the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) National Executive Board. Also expected is Dr. Eduardo Banzon, Principal Health Specialist of the ADB; Dr. Joselito Basilio, Undersecretary of the Department of Budget and Management; and other experts and stakeholders during panel discussions.

Dr. Diana M. Edralin, General Manager for Pharmaceuticals of Roche (Philippines) Inc. and President of the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP), is also among the experts tapped for the plenary discussions.

The PAPO is the umbrella organization of 50 disease-specific patient groups in the Philippines and is a member of the International Alliance of Patient Organizations (IAPO), a unique global alliance representing patients, which has a Non-State Actor status with the World Health Organization (WHO).

Regionally, PAPO is a member of the Duke-NUS Center for Regulatory Excellence (CORE), the Coalition to Accelerate Patient Engagement (CAPE) and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).

Nationally, PAPO sits in various technical working groups (TWGs), councils, and coalitions that help shape health policy. Its mission is to help build patient-centered healthcare in the Philippines so that the healthcare system is designed and delivered to answer the needs of patients. (end)

Founded in 1896 in Basel, Switzerland, as one of the first industrial manufacturers of branded medicines, Roche has grown into the world’s largest biotechnology company and the global leader in in-vitro diagnostics. The company pursues scientific excellence to discover and develop medicines and diagnostics for improving and saving the lives of people around the world. We are a pioneer in personalized healthcare and want to further transform how healthcare is delivered to have an even greater impact. To provide the best care for each person, we partner with many stakeholders and combine our strengths in Diagnostics and Pharma with data insights from the clinical practice.

In recognizing our endeavor to pursue a long-term perspective in all we do, Roche has been named one of the most sustainable companies in the pharmaceuticals industry by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for the 15th consecutive year. This distinction also reflects our efforts to improve access to healthcare together with local partners in every country we work.

Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan.  

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