Bianca Umali partners with TMC to push forward conversations about breast cancer

Pasig City, Philippines – In a bid to help raise awareness about breast cancer, Bianca Umali partners with The Medical City (TMC) to launch Babae Sa Babae, a 3-part video series that aims to give conversations about breast cancer a platform.

The series features discussions with three women—Bianca, Shirley Angeles, and Dr. Trixie Tiangco—sharing their experiences with breast cancer.

The first episode of Babae sa Babae centered on Bianca’s journey of understanding her mom’s battle with breast cancer and the pain that comes with losing her at such a young age. Bianca shares her personal struggles, triumphs, and the strength she discovered within herself amid adversity.

“It felt like I was robbed of the last moment that I could have had with my mom,” Bianca recounts her feelings as a five-year-old kid and not able to spend the last days of her mom near her.

In October 2023, Bianca announced her advocacy during the Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign led by TMC Breast Center. She mentioned that she’s been wanting to become an advocate since 2017.

The second episode focused on Shirley, a beneficiary of a free breast cancer screening program initiated by TMC and AIA Philippines, while the third installment shed light on certain misinformation and misconceptions about the disease with Dr. Trixie, a cancer medicine specialist and Director of Augusto P. Sarmiento Cancer Institute (APSCI).

TMC has always been at the forefront of raising awareness on breast cancer and other types of cancer as well. Under the purview of TMC - APSCI’s SCRAP Cancer Program, which stands for SCReen And Prevent Cancer, TMC launched Hope Mobi-Clinic, in partnership with AIA Philippines.

Hope Mobi Clinic’s pilot program provides free breast cancer screening to women of Pasig and San Juan to help improve early detection rates among Filipinas who may not have access to these services. Should these patients’ results show that they have a malignant tumor, TMC and AIA will cover the expenses for medical intervention until surgery treatment.

This year, with TMC, Bianca will not only be able to help women discern correct information about the disease but also give them access to breast cancer screening.

In Babae Sa Babae’s first installment, it was announced that Bianca would give away free breast cancer screening to select women. Details of this initiative will be made public soon.

Babae Sa Babae invites everyone to participate in discussions and support breast cancer awareness initiatives. By fostering a community of support and understanding, the campaign aims to break the silence surrounding breast cancer and empower the audience to make informed, evidence-based health decisions. To watch the series, visit tmcph.co/BabaeSaBabae.