Politics may derail Zambales generic drugs project

IBA, Zambales — Political "intrigues" are threatening to derail a project dubbed Botika Natin which provides low-cost medicines to some 500 families in remote villages in three Zambales towns and Olongapo City, Vice Gov. Ramon Lacbain said yesterday.

"Some municipal and provincial officials of Zambales are trying to put down this worthwhile project just because the vice governor is behind it," he said.

Lacbain has been at odds with other provincial officials since last year for his exposés of alleged irregularities in the provincial government.

Lacbain launched the project six months ago to make low-priced generic drugs available initially to poor folk in the far-flung barangays of Sta. Cruz, Masinloc and Subic towns and Olongapo City.

"A 500-milligram paracetamol tablet being sold from P2 to P8 in regular pharmacies is sold for 50 centavos in Botika Natin. Salbutamol syrup worth P90 or more in regular pharmacies is sold in Botika Natin for only at P15.60," he said.

"The prices of medicines in Botika Natin may be lower by P10 to P80 than those in regular pharmacies in the town proper," he added.

Lacbain declined to give details on the political difficulties his project is facing, but he appealed to "my fellow government officials to support this project instead of bringing it down."

He said no less than 500 volunteer-families also earn extra income by manning 50 Botika Natin outlets in the three towns and Olongapo City.

"If only all politicians will concentrate on doing projects and outdoing each other on the number of such projects instead of sowing intrigues… then so many people will be helped," he said. 

"Our objective is to organize no less than 200 Botika Natin outlets to be supervised by about 2,000 volunteer-families so that poor folk can have access to low-cost generic medicines 24 hours a day," he said.

Lacbain initiated the project in partnership with the Zambales War Against Poverty (ZWAP) Foundation Inc.     

The foundation is duly registered with various government regulatory institutions such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Department of Trade and Industry.

"The DSWD administers the fund that I was able to secure from the Priority Development Assistance Fund of Senators Edgardo Angara and Francis Pangilinan, and monitors the operations of Botika Natin," he said.

Lacbain said a Botika Natin outlet can be set up in any remote sitio by groups of 10 families living in a contiguous area. He said interested families can apply at his office at the provincial Capitol here.