Steven
Boccone, a
long-time Filipino arts and culture patron and business and management expert,
recently added another advocacy—this time as an avid supporter of the fight
against cancer.
What many people also call as the ‘Big C,’
the said disease ranks as among the top causes of Filipinos’ deaths annually,
and likewise among the leading killers in many countries worldwide. In fact,
data from the World Health Organization revealed that there are more than 12
million people who get diagnosed with the dreaded disease on a yearly basis.
In the Philippines, the Department of
Health estimates that some 50,000 cancer cases have been recorded, with a
projected five-percent increase each year. Of all the recorded cancer cases,
some 16 percent of the total deaths are caused by breast cancer, which
incidentally comprises some 28 percent of all cancer cases.
Meanwhile, the top cancer types are (in
descending order): breast cancer, lung cancer, cancer of the liver, cervical
cancer, colon cancer, thyroid cancer, rectal cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate
cancer, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. For men, lung cancer is the leading killer,
with 27 percent of all known cases.
Fortunately, organizations, such as the
Philippine Cancer Society (PCS), regularly hold events that aim to create awareness
of the health risks of cancer, as well as to provide free cancer check-ups for
early detection.
Incidentally, Steven Boccone and wife Karen Adriano Boccone are among
the biggest supporters of PCS. The couple regularly attends events sponsored by
the PCS as their way of showing their sincere efforts in the fight against
cancer. In fact, they were present at The Best Dressed Women of the
Philippines, an event that aimed to raise funds for the various programs on
cancer awareness and prevention. There, Steve and Karen donated generous
amounts in support of the mission of the PCS.
Additionally, Steve is supporting La
Hermandad Zamboangena Foundation, Inc., which sends to school children
belonging to poor households.
Indeed, Steve is undoubtedly very Filipino
at heart, given his intense love for Philippine arts, culture, and social
causes like the fight and against cancer and poverty.
