Roxas to DTI, DOH on A(H1N1): Be ahead of the curve

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas stressed that the government, particularly the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Health (DOH) should ensure fullest possible access to critical goods needed to deal with a possible Influenza A(H1N1) emergency situation.

"Pangunahan na ng gobyerno ang sitwasyon. Dapat maghanda ito sa posibleng pagbulusok ng A(H1N1) Flu. Dapat abot-kamay ng publiko ang mga kinakailangang produkto para sugpuin ang sakit na ito," he said.

"The supply of Tamiflu is not the only critical element. Once an emergency situation sets in, the demand for preventive products like disinfectants, sanitizers, alcohols, masks, and even multivitamins could shoot up. The government has to be ahead of the curve and be prepared for this scenario," he stressed.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade and Commerce said DTI and DOH, together with other government agencies involved in combating A(H1N1) flu, should form a task force to identify all critical goods and preventive products, monitor their prices, secure their sources of supply and prepare for possible price controls.

"The government should also be on the guard against unscrupulous businessmen who take advantage of the situation, as well as against misleading advertising messages prescribing sham cures", he said.

"Hindi dapat payagang abusuhin tayo ng mga loko sa negosyo. Dapat mangibabaw ang interes ng publiko sa lahat ng oras, lalo na sa panahon ng kagipitan," the former DTI secretary said.

"Information should be delivered as to which disinfectant products in the market are most effective in preventing the spread of the virus," he added.

Furthermore, he said the task force should give special focus to urban poor communities that are the most vulnerable to disease contagion because of congestion, lack of water and lack of access to preventive and curative goods.

"Magtulungan tayo. Magsama tayo’t labanan ang problemang dala ng AH1N1 sa ating bansa," Roxas said.

Friday, June 19, 2009 | posted in a(h1n1), doh, dti, health, mar roxas, philippines, tamiflu | 0 comments [ More ]

Senator Roxas to DOH: Set maximum retail price of medicines

The Department of Health (DOH) can moderate prices of medicines and make vital drugs more affordable to the people as laid down by the provisions the new Cheaper Medicines law, Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas said today.

Roxas pointed out the Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008 gave the DoH the authority to establish maximum retail prices for important medicines, such as maintenance drugs, sold in pharmacies nationwide.

"Kailangang siguruhin ng DoH na maayos nitong maipatutupad ang batas. At dahil binigyan ito ng karapatang kontrolin ang presyo ng mga gamot na ibebenta sa mga botika, sana ay hindi ito magpadala sa mga lobbying o impluwensiya ng malalaking kumpanya ng gamot na tuloy-tuloy ang pagharang sa pagpapatupad ng batas (The DOH should make sure that it can properly implement the law. Since the law gave it the power to control prices of medicines, it should not be swayed by the lobbying of big drug companies who have always fought against the law)," he said.

He reminded the DoH that "the government is the representative of the people. The only people you must be fair to are the consumers of medicines" and not the big pharmaceutical farms who have been actively lobbying against the enactment and administration of the law.

"The big pharmaceutical companies can take care of themselves. They have their lawyers, accountants, lobbyists, so they can take care of themselves. Precisely the government is there, to balance out their interests, precisely in favor of the consumers," he said.

The Ilonggo senator said the DoH can set a maximum retail price for medicines prescribed in government hospitals and by public doctors.

"May kakayahan ang DoH na sabihin sa lahat ng government hospitals, you can only buy medicines that are within this price band. Tapos, dito sa Philhealth, mag-reimburse lang sila sa medicines that comply with this price band ng sa ganoon (The DoH can tell government hospitals to buy medicines only within this price band. It can also tell Philhealth to reimburse only medicines that comply with the set price band of the DoH), then the market power of the government can be used to moderate prices," he said.

He added medicines sold in Botika ng Bayan outlets nationwide should also be subject to the maximum retail price set by the health department.

The Ilonggo senator recalled that when during his stint as secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry he opened the Botika ng Barangay outlets, the prices of vital medicines were really very cheap.

However, after his term ended, he lamented the then newly-opened Botika ng Bayan stores upped the prices, dismaying the public and prompting them to go back to buying their medicines from big pharmacies that sold expensive drugs.

"Kaya parang nawala yung direksyon ng Botika ng Bayan (That was why the Botika ng Bayan seemed to have failed). For the system and the government to continue to allow the charging of expensive medicine is in the nature of qualified theft. We are allowing the taking of this money from poor people's pockets for what they can't afford, when in fact an equivalent but cheaper medicine is already available," he said.

"Marami sa mga sinasabi ng gobyerno ay propaganda lang. Mayroon ngang Botika ng Bayan, wala namang gamot, walang supply. Mayroong sinasabing ganito, ganoon, wala namang implementasyon. Kailangan nating kulitin, kalampagin ang gobyerno, para maisakatuparan itong Quality Affordable Medicines Law (Many of what the government is saying are mere propaganda. There maybe Botika ng Bayan outlets but many of these do not have medicines, they do not have supplies. They say one this and that but they're really not administering the law. That's why we have to rattle the government and demand that it properly implements the Quality Affordable Medicines law)," he said.

Sunday, January 18, 2009 | posted in botika ng bayan, cheaper medicines bill, doh, dti, mar roxas, pgma, philippines, president | 0 comments [ More ]

Roxas urges DA to assess impact of Typhoon Frank's damage on RP rice supply

Senator Mar Roxas called on the Department of Agriculture to assess the impact of typhoon damage – amounting to half a billion pesos and causing the loss of crops in 300,000 hectares in Western Visayas and 12 other provinces –on the country's dwindling rice supply.

"It's not enough to know the damage in peso terms but on how this will manifest itself in terms of rice and food prices and supply. Let's be more open and transparent about this and other problems, to come up with an integrated plan for rehabilitation and mobilization of resources in the wake of typhoon 'Frank'," he said.

Roxas has been aiding in and coordinating with different agencies on relief and rehabilitation efforts in Capiz and Iloilo since Friday.

The Chairman of the Senate trade and commerce committee, said the external shock of a global rice crisis combined with the internal shock of a major typhoon disaster requires a long and hard look at existing strategies and the need for long-term programs to avert a more acute rice and food shortage.

"Typhoon 'Frank' shows how vulnerable our food supply and its affordability are to internal shocks caused by weather disturbances and natural calamities. All the more we need to invest in our farmers and make sure that they get the support needed to recover from this latest setback," he added.

Roxas also called on the Department of Trade and Industry to activate the National Price Coordinating Council as an initial step to preventing unjustified price increases of goods and services by unscrupulous traders.

The price of ordinary commercial rice has gone up from P32/kg a month ago to P36-P39/kg at present. Roxas has repeated that the worldwide shortage in the commodity is forcing the country to focus on raising domestic production and attain self-sufficiency, to meet local demand.

Hard flour (Wellington), used for making pan de sal, is now at P980 per 25-kg bag, a more than 50% increase from P640 a year ago. Meanwhile, soft flour, used for making noodles, is at P840 per 25-kg bag, from about P500 a year ago.

He also noted that the price of petroleum products has increased for successive weeks now. Unleaded gasoline now costs P57.96 per liter and diesel now costs P50.94/L, after an increase last weekend of P1.50/L. Liquefied petroleum gas has increased by P1/L to P32.22/L or P653.70 per 11-kg tank, further burdening consumers struggling with high prices of food.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008 | posted in da, dti, food crisis, mar roxas, oil, rice crisis, visayas | 2 comments [ More ]