The American Cancer Society in Hawaii and Filipino leaders have formed a partnership to take action against breast cancer. Partnership to
battle breast cancerFilipino and Hawaiian women
experience the highest death ratesStar-Bulletin staff
Marie Gregorio, wife of Philippine Consul General Rolando Gregorio, is honorary chairwoman of Tell a Friend for the Filipino community.
Tell a Friend is the cancer society's nationwide program for early detection of breast cancer to increase chances for a cure.
Dr. Reginald Ho, former national society president, points out that native Hawaiian women have the highest death rate from breast cancer, and Filipino women have the second highest.
"With partnerships of ethnic stakeholders, we must turn this alarming trend around."
The partnership against breast cancer was to be announced at a reception from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. today at the society's Nuuanu headquarters.
Pledging support, in addition to the Philippine consul general and his wife, are Philippine Consul Eva Betita and leaders of the United Filipino Council of Hawaii and its neighbor island councils.
Marie Gregorio said the Tell a Friend movement is "like the ancient art of balancing power, as in cooking bibingka, a coconut and sweet rice delicacy. You need fire from the top, which is the government and big business, and fire from the bottom, which is the grass-roots people.
"This partnership engages Filipino leadership to understand and address cancer disparities in order to reach Filipinos with lifesaving messages."
A statewide series of Tell a Friend training sessions began on Kauai last month with more than 90 women attending. The next one will be April 26 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Filipino Community Center on Oahu.
Betita said women will be telling family and friends to get an annual mammogram if they are 40 or older, to get a clinical breast exam every year from their physician and learn to do monthly breast self-exams. Women also will be encouraged to see their doctors for regular cervical cancer screenings.
Ilocano and Tagalog breast cancer materials, videotapes, television documentaries and public service announcements have been prepared by the cancer society with Filipino leaders and others.
Dr. Arnold Villafuerte, state Department of Health bilingual health services director and United Filipino Council of Hawaii Health Committee co-chairman, said a growing number of multilingual, multicultural volunteers will work through Tell a Friend to reach diverse circles of women and link those with little or no health insurance to services.
Chris Pablo, cancer society government co-chairman, said the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Fund Coalition was formed to achieve changes in the system.
Through its efforts, he said, state legislation was passed to provide financial assistance for mammographies, diagnostic tests and medical treatment through the state Health Department's Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program.
That law filled a gap for Filipino immigrants who arrived in the United States after August 1996, said Dwayne Bueno, United Filipino Council Hawaii president.
He said about 4,000 Philippine immigrants arrive in Hawaii annually, but they are not eligible to use government-funded programs for five years under the 1996 Immigration Reform Act passed by Congress.
Philippine Consul Gregorio urged Filipinos throughout Hawaii to join in the campaign to reverse breast cancer trends.
"This is a 'bayanhihan' partnership -- people helping people for the benefit of all," Gregorio said.
Agnes Calderon, Miss Hawaii Filipina 2002, whose aunt is a breast cancer survivor, is trying to involve youths in Tell a Friend leadership roles.
People interested in participating should call 595-7544 in Honolulu, 486-8420 or 262-5124 elsewhere on Oahu, 245-2942 on Kauai, 244-5553 in Maui County, 935-9763 in East Hawaii and 334-0442 in West Hawaii.
American Cancer Society
United Filipino Council Hawaii