26 out of 100 women in the country get breast cancer, while 1 out of 100 men also suffer from it.
But in Cordillera, the first male breast cancer survivor has been recorded.
He is 68-year-old Tatay Eli, he says he was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020.
At first, he couldn’t believe that men could also get breast cancer.
He bravely endured two years of treatment.
Only his family gave him the strength to overcome what he said was the greatest challenge of his life.
In 2022, he was declared cancer-free.
To inspire women battling the same disease, he was one of the hundreds of breast cancer survivors who attended a Breast Cancer Awareness Month celebration organized by a foundation in Baguio City.
The Philippines has the highest rate of breast cancer in all of Asia.
In 2022, the number of breast cancer cases in the country reached 33,000, according to the World Health Organization.
To further raise public awareness about this, the city government has plans in place.
Tatay Eli, Nikoy, and Divina are just a few of the many people who have overcome breast cancer.
This year’s theme is “No one should face breast cancer alone.”
**VANESSA BUGTONG
