The Philippines is being urged to broaden its human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program and strengthen cervical cancer prevention as gaps remain between existing policies and their implementation. Female lawmakers and health experts raised the concerns during the launch of the HPV Prevention Policy Atlas Asia-Pacific 2026 at the House of Representatives.
The Atlas gave the Philippines an overall score of 71.6 percent, rated “Good,” but the country continued to trail several Southeast Asian neighbors in the assessment of national HPV prevention policies. The report also pointed to low program uptake, with HPV vaccination coverage among females remaining below 30 percent and participation in cervical cancer screening below 15 percent.
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Calls Grow for Gender-Neutral HPV Vaccination
HPV is a common virus linked to cervical cancer and other cancers, making vaccination and early detection important components of prevention. During the forum, participants called for vaccination efforts to extend beyond girls and include boys as part of a gender-neutral approach.
Neil Datta, executive director of the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, said boys can also contract HPV and develop HPV-related cancers. “You can only achieve the elimination of HPV if you also vaccinate boys. That's the first thing to consider,” Datta said.
HPV is associated with cancers affecting both men and women, including cancers of the mouth and throat as well as penile cancer. Vaccinating boys could provide direct protection while also helping reduce transmission of the virus.
The Department of Health currently provides the four-valent HPV vaccine to public school girls aged 9 to 14. However, budgetary and other constraints have kept the program's reach at less than 30 percent of the target public school female population, while Philippine Statistics Authority data cited during the forum placed the population of girls aged 9 to 14 at about 6.7 million.
Implementation Remains a Key Challenge
The figures have prompted calls to examine how existing programs can reach more eligible beneficiaries. Albay 1st District Rep. Cielo Krisel Lagman, chairman of the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development Foundation and a member of the House Committee on Health, noted that Congress has continued to support vaccine funding through government health and education programs.
“But funding alone is not enough. We need people’s initiatives to avail of the package,” Lagman said.
Lagman said lawmakers also need to determine whether allocated resources are reaching their intended recipients and identify barriers to vaccination, screening, and reliable health information. “The policy is only as good as the implementation. Even if it is good on paper, but it is not implemented, even if there is funding but it is not used in the right and appropriate way, nothing will happen,” she told The Manila Times.
She also called for stronger use of Gender and Development (GAD) funds for cervical cancer prevention and early detection, alongside measures to improve access to HPV vaccination, screening and treatment through health financing mechanisms such as PhilHealth. This would be particularly relevant to families in far-flung communities facing transportation expenses and other out-of-pocket costs.
The policy discussion also focused on translating existing commitments into actual protection. “In a number of countries, including in the Philippines, policies are there. We then, as legislators, PLCPD, and other legislators, will start to look at how it is being implemented,” Datta said.
Rep. Sarah Jane Elago meanwhile emphasized the role of evidence and community experiences in policymaking. “Data-driven and data-informed policy decision-making are really at the core of our advocacies as legislators,” Elago said.
Lagman said the forum was intended to move the discussion toward concrete steps addressing the gaps identified by the Atlas. “Our goal is for the launch to move the conversation from simply recognizing the importance of HPV vaccination and cervical cancer prevention to identifying specific actions that different sectors can take,” she said.
Closing these gaps would mean making preventive health services more reachable before HPV-related diseases become more difficult and costly to treat. The challenge now is not simply having policies in place, but ensuring vaccination, screening, information, and treatment reach the people who need them.
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