• Breast
Cancer is the most common cancer in the Philippines
• Reports from the Department of Health
(doh.gov.ph), the Philippine Cancer Society (philcancer.org.ph) and the
Philippine Breast Cancer Network (pbcn.org) now show that Breast Cancer has
overtaken lung cancer as the most common cancer in the Philippines affecting 1 out of 13 Filipino women in
her lifetime.
• the Philippines has the highest incidence of Breast Cancer in Asia.
• Survival rate in the Philippines is very low, 40 to 50% compared
to the high survival rates of 80 to 98% in developed countries.
• In Zamboanga City , many women are
still timid about discussing
breast wellness.
• Even with extended effort of free breast
wellness lectures from the Ciudad Medical Zamboanga Breast Wellness Center (CMZ-BWC) to the community
since March 2012, we have gathered in our pre-lecture surveys, that:
• most women have not heard about Breast
Screening (more than 90%)
• for those who have heard of it, they do not
practice this (98%).
• To
address these issues in 2012, CMZ chose Breast Wellness and Breast Cancer
Awareness as its premiere Corporate Social Responsibility program thereby addressing the third
Mission of CMZ: to pursue a Corporate Social Responsibility program.
After the Zamboanga Siege in 2013, CMZ workforce had an Art Contest with the Theme: CMZ and Social Healing.
At this time, Judges Zamboanga artist Rameer Tawasil, Dante Corteza and the CMZ Medical Director, Dr. Filipinas Rojo were casually discussing about means to propagate the Breast Wellness Advocacy.
Rameer Tawasil brought up the idea of using Brassieres as medium, thus, a deeper discussion on the possible mechanisms to avoid controversy on BRAs ensued.
Further discussion with Rameer Tawasil and the CMZ Execom brought about the concept of the CMZ B.R.A. (Bra to Raise Awareness) Campaign.
CMZ B.R.A. Campaign Project
~~~B.R.A. which stands for Bra to Raise Awareness
= first initiative started in time for the National Cancer Consciousness Week on January 17, 2014
= launched last February 4, 2014 on World Cancer Day
= Unveiling of the Installation Art will be on March 21, 2014, which is the second anniversary of CMZ BWC as well as within the International Women’s Month
GENERAL OBJECTIVE of CMZ BRA Campaign Project:
~~to create a highly innovative Breast Cancer awareness drive combining healthcare advocacy,art and education.
~~to create a highly innovative Breast Cancer awareness drive combining healthcare advocacy,art and education.
CMZ BRAngay
Project
~~~an offshoot of the CMZ B.R.A. Campaign Project, was launched to prioritize Breast Awareness education and screening to barangays, which means communities, urban poor and rural groups.
~~~an offshoot of the CMZ B.R.A. Campaign Project, was launched to prioritize Breast Awareness education and screening to barangays, which means communities, urban poor and rural groups.
Thus, BRAngay is an acronym for BReast Awareness for neighborhoods, groups, associations and the youth.
GENERAL OBJECTIVE of CMZ BRAngay Project:
~~to intensify promotion of early detection of Breast Cancer through community partnership.
GENERAL OBJECTIVE of CMZ BRAngay Project:
~~to intensify promotion of early detection of Breast Cancer through community partnership.
TARGETS OF THE CMZ B.R.A. Campaign Project
1. to
involve CMZ workforce and community partners on Breast Cancer Awareness through
B.R.A. (Bra to Raise
Awareness) Art;
2. to
create public B.R.A.
installation artworks to inspire the community on Breast Cancer Awareness
3. to
conduct free Breast Cancer
Awareness lectures and Breast Screening to the Zamboanga City community.
Target Publics:
The B.R.A. Campaign Project primarily
addresses the general public on the messages: “Love your breasts.
Have them checked” and “Early detection and treatment save lives”.
The
campaign likewise is directed at specific stakeholders:
1) For the Art-related
initiatives, the general public in agencies, malls, supermarkets and schools
and City Park to recognize the value of being informed on the message that “Breast
Cancer is curable if detected and treated early”.
2) Women from Zamboanga City as early
as 15 years old (high school) to 65 years old are the
primary targets for the lectures, whether they are gathered by schools,
offices, organizations or barangays.
3) Patients and survivors
as partners to share their experience and help inspire and promote early
detection.
4) Health professionals
especially CMZ workforce (physicians and employees) as stimulus and driving
force of the project through their participation in the Art and Education/ Screening
initiatives and as ambassadors to help spread accurate and reliable information
on Breast Cancer.
5) Policy makers and key
opinion leaders from the City Government and private organizations for use of
government and private facilities for special projects and to inspire them to
be involved as their influence can help widen the reach for the advocacy
campaign.
6) Media for dissemination
of the advocacy to the general public within and outside of Zamboanga City.
7) Other sectoral groups
(youth) and professions (teachers, government office workers), to address
common or shared concerns of specific target groups.
