Twelve Filipinas die from cervical cancer every day, despite a disease that experts say is now largely preventable through vaccination, screening, and early intervention.

This urgent reality took center stage during the recent Together for Health: Towards a Cervical Cancer-free Philippinesforum, where health leaders, medical experts, advocates, and policymakers renewed calls to strengthen human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and cervical cancer prevention programs nationwide.

Held in May, which is observed in the Philippines as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, the forum served as a timely reminder of the need to sustain public attention and action on a disease that remains both preventable and treatable.

According to 2022 Globocan data, cervical cancer remains the second most common cancer among Filipinas, with approximately 8,549 new cases and 4,380 deaths annually.

“Cervical cancer is preventable, yet more than half of Filipinas diagnosed with it still die from the disease,” said Dr. Concepcion Rayel, President of the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS). “We have the technical expertise and manpower. We have screening tools. We have subspecialists trained for treatment. But most importantly, we need leadership to establish a clear roadmap, so we move in the same direction.”

Throughout the forum, speakers underscored a common message: scientific advances in vaccination, screening, diagnosis, and treatment have made cervical cancer elimination increasingly achievable, but implementation gaps continue to keep many Filipinas from timely, life-saving care.

Advancing prevention through vaccination, screening, and early detection

Forum speakers emphasized that HPV vaccination remains the most effective first line of defense against cervical cancer.

Dr. Christia Padolina, Program Director for Cervical Cancer Elimination at the Asia Oceania Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AOFOG), said cervical cancer is one of the few cancers for which the cause is already clearly known.

“Because we know the cause, we now have the tools to fight it, vaccines that can prevent HPV infection, screening tests that can detect it early, and treatments that can stop its progression to cancer,” Padolina said.

She added that the World Health Organization’s 90-70-90 targets: vaccinating 90% of girls against HPV by age 15, screening 70% of women using high-performance tests, and ensuring 90% of women with cervical disease receive proper treatment, provide a clear roadmap toward elimination.

Padolina also pointed to growing momentum across the Asia-Oceania region, where countries are strengthening HPV vaccination and expanding the use of HPV DNA testing in line with the global elimination strategy. “Countries with greater resources are now using the nonavalent HPV vaccine,” she said. “The Philippines currently uses the quadrivalent vaccine, which remains effective. However, it is important for us to continue evaluating future directions.” She added that AOFOG recommendations increasingly support broader-protection HPV vaccines and high-performance HPV DNA testing as part of regional cervical cancer elimination strategies.

Building on this regional perspective, Dr. Ana Victoria Dy-Echo, Chair of the POGS Committee on Women’s Cancers, said international data continue to show the impact of vaccination programs in reducing cervical cancer incidence.

“HPV vaccination remains the optimal strategy for primary prevention,” Dy-Echo said. She noted that countries with well-established vaccination programs have reported substantial reductions in cervical cancer incidence.

“In fact, cervical cancer is the only cancer that can be prevented across all three levels,” she said, referring to vaccination, screening, and early treatment.

Beyond vaccination, speakers also emphasized the need to improve cervical cancer screening rates in the country.

In the Philippines, however, screening participation remains extremely low. Forum speakers noted that only around 1.27% to 1.29% of the female population underwent cervical cancer screening last year—highlighting that while the country has the tools, expertise, and policy direction, stronger implementation is needed to reach women at scale.

“We must move toward broader adoption of HPV DNA testing,” Padolina said. “What matters most is making screening widely available because testing allows early detection, appropriate management, and preventive care.”

Stronger collaboration needed to reach more Filipinas

Despite scientific progress, speakers acknowledged that implementation remains one of the country’s biggest challenges.

Padolina emphasized that achieving elimination targets will require stronger coordination between national agencies, local governments, schools, healthcare workers, and communities.

“Successful programs usually begin with a strong national framework and commitment,” she said. “The Philippines already has many of the essential ingredients—from policy support and trained specialists to vaccines, screening tools, and treatment capability. The challenge now is implementation: making sure these reach women consistently, equitably, and at the right time.”

Supporting this call, Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) Executive Director Teodoro Padilla said healthcare systems must evolve alongside scientific advances. “We need a consistent vaccine supply, stronger partnerships among schools and communities, better follow-up systems for missed doses, and sustained education efforts grounded in science, empathy, and trust.”

Cancer Coalition of the Philippines (CCPH) Vice President Carmen Auste likewise underscored the need to ensure that prevention programs reach underserved communities.

“Success should not be measured by averages,” Auste said. “Success should be measured by whether the woman with the least access, the least income and the least voice in the most remote communities is reached, served and protected.”

The ceremonial striking of the gong during the forum’s “Sounding the Call for Elimination” commitment exercise reflected what speakers repeatedly emphasized throughout the discussions: that cervical cancer elimination will require stronger alignment between science, policy, healthcare systems, and community implementation.

Speakers closed the forum with a shared reminder that the cost of delay is deeply personal. Without stronger implementation of vaccination, screening, diagnosis, and treatment, Filipinos will continue to lose mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, and friends to a cancer that is largely preventable. With the science, tools, and partnerships already within reach, the challenge now is to turn commitment into action.