MANILA – Raffy Tulfo has raised concern over the growing number of Filipinos suffering from Chronic Kidney Disease, calling the illness a “silent killer” that requires immediate government action.

In a privilege speech delivered at the Senate on May 13, Tulfo said CKD has become a serious public health issue in the country, with around 13 million Filipinos estimated to be living with different stages of the disease.

“Today, I wish to address an urgent public health issue that is silently but steadily affecting the Filipino people: ang pagtaas ng kaso ng Chronic Kidney Disease,” he said.

Citing figures from the Philippine Society of Nephrology, Tulfo said one Filipino develops chronic renal failure every hour.

He also pointed out that while CKD was once more common among senior citizens, about 57.44 percent of patients are now between the ages of 20 and 59.

The senator expressed concern over the increasing number of younger patients diagnosed with kidney disease, including teenagers and children as young as four years old. He said hospitals across the country continue to report new pediatric kidney failure cases.

Tulfo shared the stories of several patients who sought his assistance, including Mariano Trias, who was diagnosed with CKD at age 30; Ron Ryan Jacinto, who was diagnosed at 16 and has undergone dialysis for six years; and Argee Sibulan, who was diagnosed with Stage 5 CKD at four years old and has been on dialysis for nearly 10 years.

According to the senator, one out of every three CKD patients is already in Stages 3 to 5 of the disease.

He added that treatment expenses could reach up to P116,000 for non-diabetic patients, while diabetic patients may spend between P46,000 and P120,000 to manage the illness.

Tulfo cited uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension as the leading causes of CKD based on data from the Department of Health and the Philippine Renal Disease Registry.

He explained that prolonged high blood sugar levels caused by diabetes can damage the kidneys over time, while hypertension affects blood vessels and weakens the kidneys’ filtering system.

The senator said the Philippines remains among the Southeast Asian countries with the highest number of CKD cases due to weaknesses in the healthcare system, widespread health risks, and limited public awareness.

To address the problem, Tulfo proposed several government measures, including expanded early detection programs through regular blood pressure and blood sugar monitoring, wider access to diagnostic procedures such as the Urine Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio (uACR) test, and mandatory warning labels on food products high in sugar and sodium.

He noted that the uACR test currently costs between P1,500 and P3,500 and is not covered by PhilHealth.

“Dapat may mga programa para sa early detection, essential diagnostic procedures such as the Urine Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio (uACR) test at health label ratings sa mga produktong pagkain,” he said.

Tulfo also urged fellow lawmakers to support Senate Bill No. 2123, or the proposed “Accessible Kidney Care Act,” which seeks to provide free kidney health screenings in Barangay Health Centers and Super Health Centers nationwide to make early detection more accessible to the public.