MikeLigalig.com

Written By KIT BAGAIPO
The Bohol Chronicle

Deputy Mayor Mario Uy has revealed that his dream to serve the people of Tagbilaran City through the distribution of free medicines through the Botika sa Katawhan has three stages.

Uy made the revelation when he pinched hit for Mayor Dan Lim yesterday at the latter's weekly radio program over Station DyRD.

"The first stage has been realized. The second is in the process of being realized while the third is on the drawing board," Uy explained.

He said that the first stage involved his dream to distribute free medicines to 2,500 beneficiaries in the city.

"We were able to realize that dream within nine months," he beamed.

Uy said that after reaching this goal, the next dream he set for the Botika was to serve as much as 13,000 to 14,000 beneficiaries.

He explained that this goal became realistic in just a year of the operation of the people's pharmacy considering that it is now serving approximately 6,500 beneficiaries.

This gave rise to the third stage of Uy's dream which is to expand the program coverage to include the entire city.

"At the rate that generous donors are responding to the program, that dream is no longer impossible to achieve," Uy said.

The philantrophist admitted that at the start, he merely intended to support Lim through the free clinics initiated by Dr. Sharleen Lim, the mayor's wife.

In the course of the holding of those free clinics, Uy realized that there were three factors that got in the way.

First, he said that the free clinics were held on scheduled dates while sickness struck victims "without schedule".

Secondly, he said the medicines distributed during the free clinics were not sufficient to sustain the medical requirements of the patients to guarantee their full recovery.

Thirdly, Uy noted that there was no means to differentiate the indigents from those who could afford to buy their medicines in the free clinics.

Uy, who is known for his active involvements in civic organizations and social institutions, is also a veteran of numerous highly successful philantrophic activities.

Drawing on the support of people whom he befriended during his lengthy stay in the United States, Uy felt it was time to initiate the Botika to meet this need.

"It was the right time to do that since Mayor Lim gave his full support to the program," he added.

'BOTIKA' DONORS CITED

For the first time since it was established, Uy named the main benefactors of the highly successful Botika sa Katawhan yesterday, aside for his initiative and the mayor's full support.

According to Uy, the biggest and first contributor of the Botika was in fact not a Boholano. He is Dr. Eduardo Osea, a native of Masbate and owner of Holy Trinity Clinic in New Harbor City, California.

All sample medicines Osea gets from fellow doctors and pharmaceutical firms in the US are donated to the Botika, Uy bared.

Osea is able to get medicines from physicians and specialists due to his referrals of patients to them.

Since most of Americans have health insurance and could afford medicines, Uy was able to convince Osea to donate the medicines here.

Another big donor named by Uy is Dr. Anita Cal Jackson. Now based in the US, the Boholana physician also sends samples and extra medicines from the hospitals she is connected with in the US.

The donations of Osea and Jackson are worth millions, said Uy.

German philanthropist Hans Schoof also helped raise funds for the Botika during his 60 birthday, according to Uy. Instead of accepting gifts from friends and guests, Schoof requested for donations to be given to the Botika sa Katawhan.

Another sustaining donor named by Uy is Dr. Abraham Lim, brother of the city mayor, who gives funds for the purchase of Botika medicines every year.

Recently Unitop Department Store and Aldea Photo also donated for the people's pharmacy.

Other benefactors cited by Uy are Jaime and Yen Morris, Junior and Nelly Torralba, Junior Yap, and the Boholano Cultural Association based in Edmonton, Canada, also donated cash from their association.

There are several other Boholanos now based in the United States who are donating for the Botika sa Katawhan, according to Uy.

Aside from the benefactors, Uy likewise thanked the doctors who rendered their services for the Botika.

Although the city government donated a counterpart fund of P100,000 during its inception, the Botika could now stand on its own due to its many benefactors, Uy concluded.

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