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Monday, October 13, 2003
Arroyo pledges P5-M for elders’ drugstores
By Albert B. Lacanlale
PRESIDENT Arroyo vowed Saturday to allot P5 million as seed capital for drugstores to be run by elderly folk in Central Luzon.
Speaking before some 400 individuals during the meeting of the Central Luzon Federation of Association of Barangay Captains, senior citizens, local officials and “Kaibigan ni GMA” (KGMA) Pampanga chapter, the President said the drugstores could provide affordable medicines to the elderly and provide income for their organizations.
The pronouncement earned a loud applause from the crowd prodded by provincial board member Robert David, chairman of the Pampanga senior citizens federation.
David, apparently overjoyed, shouted “Yes!” with clenched fists as the President delivered the lines concerning the elderly folk.
Arroyo said the allotment of the P5 million would be a step in addressing the senior citizens’ plight against the violation of their 20 percent discount on medicines and other services provided for by law.
The problem over the violation of the 20 percent discount law was among the senior citizens’ petitions before Mrs. Arroyo during the 1st Pampanga senior citizens congress held at Expo Filipino last October 4.
However, the issue was apparently overshadowed by the President’s announcement that she would seek a full presidential term in next year’s elections.
Apparently making up with the elderly, Mrs. Arroyo explained Saturday that her administration recognizes the need of the elderly for affordable medicines but also underscored the stand of private drugstores in maintaining their profits.
“We understand the (senior citizens’) need for affordable medicines but some drugstores need to keep their profit. So, the solution is to establish drugstores that you, yourselves, would operate,” the President said in the local dialect.
Flor Villar, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 3 director, said she would officially request Social Welfare Sec. Dinky Soliman to release the P5 million.
Villar added that the allocation would be distributed to the different senior citizens organization in the region.
BM David, who led a three-month preparation for the congress, bared that he and Department of Tourism Sec. Richard Gordon have conferred on the idea of putting up the “Botika” for the senior citizens in the province at the newly inaugurated “Hilaga Village.”
He said that he is ecstatic the petitions of the senior citizens are slowly “becoming a reality.”
“Masaya kami dahil unti-unti nang nakikita ang aming mga hinahangad para sa mga senior citizens,” David added.
(October 12, 2003 issue)
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