President Duterte To Restore Botika Ng Bayan Program Using PAGCOR Funds
President Rodrigo Duterte wanted to use the P5 billion
turned over by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) to establish
drug stores that would provide the poor access to free medicines, an official
of the gaming regulator said on Wednesday, November 30.
According to PAGCOR Assistant Vice President for Community
Relations and Services Arnell Ignacio, President Duterte had told them that he
wanted to restore the Botika ng Bayan program launched during the time of former
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
“When we turned over the P5 billion, his original plan is
for the resurrection of the Botika ng Bayan. The president wants patients with
prescription to be given free medicines,” Ignacio said in a press briefing at
MalacaƱang.
PAGCOR chairperson Andrea Domingo handed President Duterte
the P5 billion during a courtesy call in MalacaƱang last Monday.
Last Tuesday, the President said he might use the PAGCOR
contribution to build another drug rehabilitation center in Visayas. A mega
drug rehabilitation facility that can accommodate 10,000 patients was
inaugurated in Nueva Ecija the other day.
“I’d like to make it clear that each time we provide funds,
we cannot say how it would be used. It’s the direction of the president. So if
he plans to use it for Botika ng Bayan or rehabilitation center, he will be the
one to decide,” Ignacio explained.
Furthermore, Ignacio said PAGCOR also provides the Dangerous
Drugs Board P5 million every month to support its programs.
He said the gaming regulator also allotted P11 million for
areas hit by typhoon “Lawin” and P5 million each to victims of the Davao City
blast and to Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz.
Ignacio further said that President Duterte wants Botika ng
Bayan outlets to give free medicine to the poor especially people in remote
areas.
“The President wants that, when patients are given a
prescription for medicines, the medicines are available for free,” Ignacio said.
Meanwhile, the Arroyo administration launched the Botika ng
Bayan (Pharmacy of the People) in 2005 with the aim of least one Botika ng
Bayan outlet per city or municipality, to provide the community with medicines
most needed in the area.
When it was first implemented, the government franchised
outlets to non-governmental organizations, cooperatives, trade and labor
unions, corporate foundations, or religious groups.
According to the DOH, there are 16,350 outlets of Botika ng
Bayan and its variants all over the country. But in 2011, the government issued
a moratorium on the project due to problems with financing and restocking of
medicines.
President Duterte To Restore Botika Ng Bayan Program Using PAGCOR Funds
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November 30, 2016
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