ILOILO City – The Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas is mobilizing barangay health workers (BHWs) to combat misinformation about generic medicines and help financially burdened households gain access to safe, effective and affordable treatment.
The initiative places community health frontliners at the center of efforts to dispel persistent misconceptions that cheaper generic drugs are less effective, less safe or more likely to cause adverse reactions than their branded counterparts.
DOH reinforced this strategy during a recent regional observance of Generics Awareness Month 2026 in San Miguel, Iloilo, bringing together health officials, pharmaceutical regulators and community health advocates.
Recognizing that misinformation can discourage patients from choosing less expensive treatment options, DOH emphasized the need to equip BHWs with accurate medical information that they can communicate directly to households.
Pharmacists Lemia A. Blances and Gladys Mae V. Sanchez of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Western Visayas conducted specialized educational sessions aimed at strengthening the ability of barangay health workers to explain the safety, quality and effectiveness of generic medicines.
The discussions addressed widespread misconceptions that generic drugs cause more side effects, aggravate illnesses or deliver inferior therapeutic results compared with branded medicines.
Health authorities emphasized that FDA-approved generic medicines contain the same active ingredients as their branded equivalents and must comply with regulatory standards for quality, safety and effectiveness.
They also explained that adverse drug reactions may occur with either generic or branded medicines, depending on a patient’s medical condition, allergies and individual response to treatment.
The lower prices of generic medicines, they stressed, do not necessarily indicate inferior quality but generally reflect lower development, advertising and marketing expenses.
By strengthening the knowledge of BHWs, the DOH hopes to encourage patients to make informed treatment decisions without unnecessarily spending more on branded medicines.
BHWs as frontline health educators
The campaign underscores the expanding responsibility of barangay health workers, who often serve as the first point of contact between residents and the public healthcare system.
Beyond promoting affordable medicines, BHWs conduct community education on sanitation, nutrition, family planning and disease prevention.
They also assist in maternal and child healthcare, immunization activities, growth monitoring and basic first aid while helping residents obtain appropriate medical attention through health centers, rural health units and hospitals.
Their responsibilities include maintaining community health records, monitoring household medical conditions and coordinating referrals involving patients requiring specialized care.
DOH considers these grassroots workers crucial to reaching families who may otherwise have limited access to reliable health information and essential medical services.
PhilHealth YAKAP strengthens primary care
The campaign also highlighted the role of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s YAKAP program in improving access to preventive healthcare and strengthening financial protection for Filipino families.
Ma. Netgil Gevela, YAKAP point person for PhilHealth Western Visayas, discussed the program’s benefits and its importance in connecting communities to primary healthcare services.
The program complements the DOH’s campaign for affordable medicines by encouraging residents to seek preventive care and utilize available health services before medical conditions worsen.
Health officials emphasized that stronger coordination among government agencies, healthcare providers and barangay health workers is essential to advancing the country’s Universal Health Care (UHC) objectives.
They maintained that bringing accurate health information directly to households can help eliminate barriers that prevent families from accessing necessary treatment.
“These efforts strengthen the Department’s commitment to Universal Health Care by helping ensure that every Filipino has access to the information, services, and medicines they need, right within their communities,” DOH-6 said in a statement.
Observed every September, Generics Awareness Month promotes public understanding and acceptance of generic medicines as affordable alternatives to more expensive branded products.
Through its intensified grassroots education campaign, DOH aims to make barangay health workers stronger advocates of informed medicine choices and help ensure that the cost of treatment does not become an unnecessary obstacle to healthcare access./PN
