As part of its mission to put a smile on people’s faces, Watsons held its first medical mission for 2022 at Villar Sipag Center in Las Pinas last April 29. Aside from volunteer doctors, over 60 Watsons employees took part in the medical mission. Around 450 families benefited from the medical mission.
The medical mission, dubbed “Alagang Pangkalusugan, Sa Watsons Ako” was led by Watsons Philippines General Manager Danilo Chiong, other Watsons executives and volunteer employees, and the medical team from Las Pinas General Hospital headed by hospital director Dr. Rodrigo Hao.
Aside from the medical services that the “Alagang Pang Kalusugan, Sa Watsons Ako” medical mission offered for free such as blood pressure and glucose check, uric acid/hemoglobin/cholesterol check, ECG (upon doctor’s recommendation), bone screening, eye check and audiometry, this was the first time that a Watsons medical mission had free skin analysis and hair analysis. Free medicines were also given to those with acute and chronic conditions.
“There’s a perception that Watsons is a pharmacy with traditional medicines or a beauty store. What we want to share is we don’t just carry maintenance meds. We don’t just carry beauty products. Watsons has a wide range of wellness products. We’re also about improving the lifestyles of our customers. For example, we have products for scalp care. We are also known to offer a wide range of beauty supplements. So hindi lang maintenance meds for health like a traditional pharmacy. We go beyond that so we can focus on the overall wellness of our customers,” said Jared de Guzman, SAVP for Customer Marketing at Watsons.
Viki Encarnacion, PR and Sustainability Director at Watsons, said partnerships are important for endeavors such as medical missions.
“They (Las Pinas LGU) gave us volunteer doctors and specialist doctors. It’s our first time to work with an LGU and they were very generous and cooperative. We learned that it can be bigger kung sama sama kami. We also engaged our pharma suppliers and they donated medicines for the patients. So this is what we learned: You have to engage different stakeholders. You can build scale. Magpapalaki mo pag marami kayo. Tulong tulong toward the same objective.,” she said.
“Napakahalaga po ng ating kalusugan. Maraming maraming salamat sa Watsons dahil tinulungan niyo po kaming maging healthy,” said Las Pinas Rep. and Deputy House Speaker Camille Villar.
“Sa buhay natin, we are given many blessings and opportunities. But one of the greatest blessings we have in our life is to DO GOOD for others,” said Watsons General Manager Danilo Chiong, who also thanked the doctors, Watsons employee volunteers, suppliers and all the others who helped make the medical mission a success.
Nad Sarmiento, who has been a Watsons employee for nine years, is happy they are doing medical missions again.
“This is not my first time to volunteer for a medical mission and that’s what thing I like about Watsons, its CSR. Hindi lang sila about business. May plans sila not just for the company but for the people, the communities and sustainability. Nakaka proud lang.”
Watsons plans to hold another medical mission in the third quarter of 2022, said Encarnacion.
The spirit of doing good is deeply ingrained in the Watsons culture. In 1841, A.S. Watsons founder Alexander Skirving Watson provided free medicine to the needy in the first dispensary.
Watsons Philippines started doing medical missions in 2013 until 2016. In 2017, the company started to focus its community outreach on the partnership with Operation Smile to help transform the lives of Filipino children affected by cleft and lip palate. To date, Watsons has helped transform the lives of 1,986 patients through free surgeries.
After the Taal Volcano eruption in 2020, Watsons distributed health care essentials such as face masks and OTC medications to Taal residents and those living in neighboring areas. Because of the pandemic social restrictions, medical missions were put on hold.
For more information, visit and like Watsons Philippines’ Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/WatsonsPH/).
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