Dr. Willie Ong, who recently revealed his cancer diagnosis, took to social media to air his frustration over the state of healthcare in the Philippines.
The well-known physician previously shared on his social media pages that he is undergoing treatment after he was diagnosed with abdominal cancer.
Ong was admitted to the hospital in August 2024 and was diagnosed with sarcoma. The mass, located behind his heart and in front of his spine, was blocking his esophagus, inferior vena cava vein, and the right atrium of his heart.
He shared that he is currently undergoing chemotherapy as he is experiencing struggles with breathing, swallowing, and extreme fatigue, “Worst pain of my life. 10 out of 10. Iiyak ka. Buong gabi walang tulog.”
Despite the challenges, Ong expressed gratitude for his supportive family, noting that rather than feeling sad, he shared that he feels blessed to have them by his side.
“Malungkot ako? Hindi. Suwerte nga ako may asawa ako nagbabantay. Suwerte ako may [mga] anak ako… binabantayan ako. I’m so blessed,” Ong said.
In his recent Facebook post, the health advocate invited vloggers, media outlets, and friends to freely use his cancer videos to help raise awareness about cancer and help Filipinos suffering from serious illnesses.
“To all vloggers, media and friends: I will allow everyone to use my Cancer videos as they wish. This will bring more awareness. I wish to help all Filipinos with cancer and other serious illnesses,” his message read.
While expressing gratitude for having access to quality medical care and the support of loved ones, Ong also voiced his deep frustration over the inequality in healthcare access, shedding light on the difficulties millions of Filipinos face in accessing life-saving medical treatment.
“I consider myself very very lucky because I have good medical care and loving relatives beside me. But what STRESSES, ANGERS and HURTS me the most is that I know millions of Filipinos can NEVER avail of such treatment,” the physician wrote.
He vowed to use any recovery as an opportunity to advocate for better healthcare for the poor, stating, “I cry for this injustice… If God will grant me a miraculous healing for my huge 16 cm sarcoma, I will spend the rest of my remaining days fighting and lobbying for our poor countrymen.”
Ong ended his post with a message of unconditional love and service to Filipinos, stating that even those who criticize him will still receive his help.
“Finally, even if you bash and hurt me, I will still help you. My love for all Filipinos is unconditional. May God give me the chance to prove it to you once and for all,” he concluded.
