It is said that in a welfare state, politicians are well, taxpayers pay the fare. In the case of the health sector, often an emotional subject, politicians are not far behind.
In the current debate on drug price control or maximum retail price (MRP) as stated in the new law, acronyms of big politicians are indicated if not implied.
MRP becomes "Mar Roxas for President", in reference to Sen. Mar Roxas who authored the cheaper medicines law in the Senate and is running for President in the elections next year. It was his strong pressure during the Congressinal Oversight Committee on the cheaper medicines law that forced the Department of Health (DOH) to produce a list of medicines to be issued the MRP or price control.
GMA now becomes "Government-Mediated Access" price of the medicines that have voluntary price reduction by their multinationals manufacturers. GMA of course, refers to the President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The list of drugs under GMA was released today (or perhaps yesterday) in big newspapers. Tomorrow will be a very big day for the President when she delivers her 9th and last State of the Nation Address (SONA) in her 9 years in power.
The DOH Secretary, Sec. Francisco T. Duque III, has his own motto for the Department even before the current drug price control debate. The motto is
OK-DOH-K!
Which sounds like "OK Duque".
Now I am tempted to join the fray and insist that the real definition of NGO is not non-government organization but rather, Nonoy Gwapo Oplas. hehehe. And of course, many will protest with this new nomenclature while a few will laugh.
Those who will protest are most likely of the grim-and-determined type of militant NGOs while those who will laugh have good sense of humor.
Happy weekend.
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