CAPITOL HILL, Tarlac City, Philippines — Tarlac has set up 26 new branches of the Botika sa Barangay (BNB), bringing the total number of stores offering the cheapest-priced medicines in this province to 359, the Department of Health (DoH) reported Tuesday.

Dr. Luz Lopez, DoH Provincial Chief, said the new stores were granted P25,000 each to start the so-called “poor man’s drug store” in this province.

“Operators of these new BNB branches were trained in basic accounting, bookkeeping, reporting including business ethics were taught to the barrio folks operating the botikas,” Lopez said.

Since health is one of the flagship programs of provincial government of Tarlac under Gov. Victor Yap, the program was also supported by Second district representative Susan Yap, who requested the DoH to help open more BNB in the province.

Eleven of these BNBs were established in Barangays Banaba, Sta. Maria, San Carlos, Laoang, Trinidad, Culipat, Buhilit, San Sebastian, Batang-Batang, Dolores and Armenia in Tarlac City. Three were in the municipality of Camiling in Barangays Manaquim, Surgui 2nd, and Bobon 2nd; three in San Jose’s Barangays Labney, San Juan de Valdez, and Burgos; three in San Clemente’s Barngays Daldalayap, Pitao, and Poblacion Norte; and two in Sta. Ignacia municipality’s Barangays Sta. Ines West and San Francisco.