Olongapo SubicBay BatangGapo Newscenter

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Zambales folk excited over small drugstores

By Patrick Roxas, Inquirer News Service

IBA, ZAMBALES -- A project that will put up a small community pharmacy in every barangay in the province to provide residents access to cheap medicines has generated unexpected interest among ZambaleƱos.

The "Botika Natin sa Nayon," which is organized, owned and managed by at least 10 members from different families in each barangay, has put up 17 outlets in Subic town and eight in Masinloc town in just two months after its launching.

Vice Gov. Ramon Lacbain II, one of the project's proponents, said they were planning to establish at least 200 outlets in Zambales and Olongapo City.

The project is being undertaken in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Zambales War Against Poverty (ZWAP) Foundation Inc. and through funds provided by the priority development assistance funds of Senators Edgardo Angara and Francis Pangilinan.

Lacbain said 10 members from different families compose and manage a Botika Natin outlet in a community. Each member contributes P100, which they give to the Zwap as their capital share.

Hard work

"We want to inculcate among our people the value of hard work instead of promoting a doleout mentality," he said.

He said the foundation issues an official receipt for the capital share it receives from Botika Natin members.

"In return, the foundation gives each team of 10 members P3,000 worth of generic medicines that they sell to the community at low prices," he said.

"Presyong himala (miracle price)" was how Lacbain described the prices of the medicines.

He said a paracetamol tablet that sells for P2 to P8 in the town proper sells for 50 centavos at the Botika Natin outlets while a bottle of multivitamins, which sells for P100 to P120 in drugstores, sells for P43.

He said these outlets serve the community 24 hours daily and provide livelihood training for members of the family.

"The Botika Natin is definitely not for profit but for service and we tell the team members that this is also an opportunity for them to help others despite their being poor," Lacbain said

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