Part VII of a “Cancer/Medical Moonshot” Series
This columnist has visited several Facebook Groups organized by cancer survivors, patients, and their kin. He has followed many of the groups, like Victims of Gastric/Stomach Cancer,
I Had Cancer, Hope4Cancer victims, Ovarian Cancer Survivors Supporting Each Other, Hope For Stomach Cancer, and others. And posted therein links to the articles in this series.
The common complaint in most of the postings (including those of cancer survivors) is that — as a general rule — nothing much has changed in cancer treatment, research, and public funding. Not many public funds are appropriated by the U.S. Congress to help cancer centers and medical institutes undertake more research and clinical trials. Funds are needed in combating the second-deadliest disease in the United States and in the entire world.
As earlier said in this series, policy and decision makers have not even shown more empathy to people living with cancer and their kin. Politicians have even cut public funding for the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) and allowed medical insurance premiums to rise. Thus, forced marginalized subscribers to stop their insurance coverage because it became unaffordable.
Perhaps victims of cancer and other major diseases, their kin and friends may have to mount a “ReVOTElution” and marshal resources for a call to political arms. The term “reVOTElution” was coined by this writer in 2007. He has founded this Facebook Group for the Philippines (as a pilot country), and it is called “ReVOTElution of H.O.P.E./Transformative Governance.
“H.O.P.E.’ is the acronym of “Helping Online People’s Empowerment.” While “ReVOTElution” is achieving evolutionary changes for the better by a peaceful and orderly practice of suffrage.
This column discussed “Covenants with the People Can Prevent Government Shutdowns” on November 12, 2025.
It means that voters in various Facebook Cancer (or other Medical) Support Groups, their kin and friends, and supporters may be able to compel many candidates to sign a “Covenant with the People”. Yes, candidates from all political parties running for the U.S. Congress, state governorships, and other local elective positions may be pressured to sign a covenant. A formal, and notarized, pledge (document) to join a bipartisan effort to enact funding for back-to-basics medical reforms — as explained in the said November 2025 article.
The column on the “Covenant” with candidates for legislative and executive departments also included this suggestion. QUOTE. Then perhaps the U.S. Congress may pursue “Medicare for All,” which could become a reality through back-to-basics steps after federal legislators convene in 2027. This column has been batting not only the adoption of back-to-basics governance, as addressed to the president-elect Joe Biden in January 2021, but also a “Covenant with the People”, as directed to political candidates in the 2022 and succeeding election cycles. UNQUOTE.
