Makati City—In a significant step towards improving the health of Filipinos, the Philippine Pharma Procurement Inc. (PPPI) has revamped the Botika ng Bayan program with the launch of Botika at Bakuna para sa Mamamayan or BBM Pharmacy. This program aims to provide more affordable and accessible medicines and vaccines to communities across the country.

PPPI President and Chief Executive Officer Maria Blanca Kim Lokin reinforced this commitment during the BBM Pharmacy Market Sounding last 09 September 2024. In her speech, Lokin shared the project builds on a study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies in June 2022. This revealed that among surveyed hospitals, only 3% of local government unit hospitals, 55% of public and national hospitals, 20% of private hospitals have complete essential drugs.

“We should do something about this, and our solution is through the BBM Pharmacy,” Lokin said.

PPPI, formerly the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC) Pharma, is one of the government-owned and controlled corporations tasked with alleviating the healthcare cost burden for Filipinos. Through projects such as Botika ng Bayan and Central Medical Store (CMS), PPPI has proven its ability to deliver affordable medicines and medical solutions to the public.
Lokin highlighted that in CMS, the consolidated purchase of medicines leads to lower prices for Filipinos, providing up to 21% savings to partner local government units.

PPPI’s plans to include launching its own line of “Care Packages” for health conditions like hypertension and high cholesterol, as well as “Lifesaver Kits” for health emergencies during calamities. These kits are designed to be readily accessible to the public through BBM Pharmacy.
“To bring healthcare services to the masses and the far-flung communities of the country, we have set out a goal to create a nationwide network of ‘botikas,’ or pharmacies, with the establishment of the new and improved Botika ng Bayan, which we are now calling Botika at Bakuna Para sa Mamamayan,” Lokin explained.
“It is also included in the eight-point socioeconomic agenda of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. He said we must bring medical services to the people and not wait for them to come to our hospitals and health care centers,” she added.

Lokin also stressed the importance of public and private partnerships in implementing the BBM Pharmacy. She encouraged entrepreneurs and potential investors to support the project.

“People were really looking for a solid social program that can actually bring down the services of the government, down to the poorest of the poor, and this social enterprise is designed for the private individuals as well as the government. Let’s help the government. Let’s help our fellow kababayans. And let’s bring forth the Botika at Bakuna para sa Mamamayan,” said the PPPI head.

The market sounding activity was attended by nearly a hundred representatives from various sectors, including the diplomatic community, national government, entrepreneurs, pharmaceuticals, logistics, and information technology industry.

Notable attendees were Malaysian Ambassador His Excellency Adbul Malik Melvin Castelino; Embassy of India Commercial Representative Dr. Sadre Alam; Commercial Representative, PhilHealth SVP for Fund Management Sector Renato Limsiaco, Jr.; SSS Commissioner Robert Joseph de Claro; and Office of the Special Assistant to the President Assistant Secretary Lorenzo Sagucio, Jr