President Rodrigo Duterte announced on November 28 that he is planning to use Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) funds to bring back the Department of Health’s Botika ng Bayan program.
On Monday, PAGCOR chairperson Andrea Domingo turned over the funds to Duterte during their meeting in Malacañang, which will go to the President’s Social Fund, Rappler reported.
“When we turned over the P5 billion, his original plan is for the resurrection of the Botika ng Bayan (Pharmacy of the People),” said PAGCOR Assistant Vice President community relations and services Arnell Ignacio said on Wednesday, November 30, during a Palace news briefing.
Ignacio said Duterte wants Botika ng Bayan outlets to give free medicine to the poor.
“The President wants that, when patients are given a prescription for medicines, the medicines are available for free,” Ignacio told Rappler.
Duterte wants Botika ng Bayan spread all over the country to give people in remote areas access to medicines.
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.
