Officials of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) led by Secretary Rex Gatchalian met with executives of the Mercury Drugs Corporation to help more Filipinos in crisis situation to purchase medicines from the latter’s selected branches through agency-issued guarantee letters (GLs).

A Guarantee Letter is a document issued by the DSWD in favor of the beneficiary addressed to service providers that guarantees the payment of the service on behalf of the client, including medicine.

During the Thursday (September 12) meeting held at the Mercury Drugs Corporation head office in Quezon City, Secretary Gatchalian thanked Mercury Drug Corporation President Vivian Que-Azcona for the company’s support to the DSWD’s goal to make the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) Program more efficient for both beneficiaries and service providers.

DSWD officials who joined the Secretary in the meeting were Undersecretary for Operations Monina Josefina Romualdez, Asst. Secretary for Statutory Programs Ada Colico, and Program Management Bureau (PMB) Asst. Director Edwin Morata.

The Mercury Drugs Corporation officials who were present in the meeting were Vice President-Chainstore Operations (Metro Manila Region) Martin Gumayan; Assistant Vice President-Chain Store Operations Ma. Asuncion DJ. Asis; Vice President Jesus Mangrobang; Vice President-Finance Division Wilson Chua; Assistant Vice President-Finance Division Rey Barza; District Manager-Institutional Accounts Management Nellie Vi Calipjo; Institutional Accounts Executive Rovilyn Nerio; Operations Manager Cris Victorio; and, Accounting Manager Adelia Sarmiento.