Let House Bill
No. 6035 go through

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor NANETTE L. GUADALQUIVER Busines Editor CEDELF P. TUPAS Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

Health Secretary Francisco Duque was voicing the sentiments of all Filipinos when he slammed the lobbyists of pharmaceutical companies who attempted to obstruct the passage of the bill that would make affordable medicine available in the country.

Last week, the House of Representatives passed on second reading House Bill No. 6035. The intent of the Bill, also known as the Cheaper Medicine Act of 2007, is to find means of reducing the prices of medicines, particularly those imported ones that can only be bought at unconscionable prices, but are so necessary for the treatment of serious illness. Some also have to be taken on maintenance basis to prevent the worsening of an ailment, and enable the patient to have quality life, at least.

And the passage of the Bill would have been aborted if the lobbyists against it, identified to come from the Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association of the Philippines, were able to have their way. Their attempt to derail it, however, was effectively stopped when they made the mistake of asking a member of the House to act in their favor by questioning the quorum during the deliberation. Fortunately for the country, the congressman exposed the attempt, and this was probably what, in fact, had hastened the passage of the bill.

It is already a well known fact that prices of medicines in the Philippines are much higher than those in other Asian countries. With the poor health situation of many of our people, and the poverty that plagues millions of them, the heartlessness of pharmaceutical firms in forcing us to pay such prices is surely a sin that cries to heaven for vengeance. With the passage of this Bill, and its subsequent enactment into law, at least we can hope for some relief in the area of healthcare.

Our main concern now is to lobby with our solons to make sure that this bill does go all the way and that the President herself sees the problem and signs it despite the expected stronger lobby from the influential group that appears to be unconcerned with the health and other problems of our people.*