He Sought Treatment for Cancer Abroad but His Visa was Denied. It was the Beginning of a Movement
In late 2004, Dumaguete City prosecutor Atty. Erwin P. Cabanag achieved remission from acute myelogenous leukemia after intensive chemotherapy and lung surgery. However, he had to face the daunting prospect of a bone marrow transplant when the technology of BMT (bone marrow transplant) was at its infancy and the chances for success was very low.
At the time, Cabanag’s family secured admission into an experimental bone marrow transplant protocol at the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda, Maryland. But when Atty. Cabanag and his sister Evelyn were interviewed for US visas on February 3, 2005, the consul denied their applications, citing doubts about his sponsorship and his return to the Philippines as stated in the foundation’s website.
ALSO READ
British Philanthropist Runs 600 km to Support Filipino Youth Sports
Dinner and Auction to Build a Learning Center for Deaf Children
Despite appeals and intervention by some contacts, the efforts initially proved futile until a visa was eventually granted a couple of months later on April 29, 2005. However, less than two weeks later, on May 12, 2005, just days before his scheduled departure, he succumbed to leukemia.
In the wake of this loss, the lawyer’s other sister, Dr. Erlyn Cabanag-Demerre, resolved to ensure no Filipino adult leukemia patient would face such barriers again. This was the beginning of EPCALM, or the Erwin P. Cabanag Adult Leukemia Memorial. The founders of the organization/movement were inspired by the biblical verse John 12:24: “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”
EPCALM was informally established shortly after Cabanag’s death. On December 29, 2009, it was officially registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as EPCALM Adult Leukemia Foundation of the Philippines, Inc. Over the past 20 years, EPCALM has grown from a family initiative into a Christ-centered, non-stock, non-profit organization—the first in the Philippines dedicated solely to adult leukemia.
The foundation operates through three service arms—Spiritual Ministry, Medical Ministry, and Resource Mobilization Ministry providing personalized, family-oriented care that addresses patients’ emotional, physical, and financial needs. A professional team of social workers, staff, and trained volunteers ensures each patient has access to pastoral counseling, medical referrals, financial assistance for treatments, and community-based support throughout their leukemia journey.
From its early awareness campaigns to recent fundraisers, the movement has gained support and has enjoyed the advocacy of many prominent Filipino personalities from the business sector and entertainment industry. Long-time ambassadors have included entertainment personalities Martin Nievera and Boy Abunda, whose involvement in benefit concerts and media appeals has amplified EPCALM’s mission. Other celebrities who support the foundation are sisters Anne and Jasmine Curtis, Tirso Cruz III, and Regine Velasquez have lent their voices and performances to raise both funds and public consciousness about adult leukemia.
This month, EPCALM Adult Leukemia Foundation of the Philippines marks two decades of service with “The Hope Gala,” an anniversary dinner concert headlined by Nievera, OPM icons Ogie Alcasid and Top Suzara, and hosted by Boy Abunda. It’s an event born from a family’s heartbreaking encounter with a visa denial that delayed life-saving treatment and ultimately inspired the creation of the country’s first non-profit organization 20 years ago dedicated to adult leukemia care.
The Hope Gala happens on Friday, 2 May 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of Solaire Resort North, Quezon City, with all proceeds benefiting adult leukemia patients and their families. Luxury watch retailer Lucerne Group, will donate a Philip Stein watch to be auctioned off during the event. This wasn’t the first time the country’s foremost luxury timepiece retailing group has pledged a donation to the movement. In the past, Lucerne has donated a couple of Philip Stein timepieces with an orange rubber strap, symbolizing the color of leukemia.
