By Zsarlene B. Chua
BF HOMES in Parañaque is the site of the country’s first store dedicated to the management of diabetes. The straightforwardly named The Diabetes Store (TDS) aims to provide for the needs of patients, from diabetic-friendly ready-to-eat meals to medicines and medical equipment.
“TDS, the first of its kind in the Philippines, serves as a one-stop shop for all diabetes products and services — from holistic care and psychosocial support, to medicines, ready-to-eat meals, ice cream, soya chips, dark chocolates and diabetic socks, among others,” said Jose Ramon Syquia Felix, general manager of The Diabetes Store during a press conference on March 16 at the Bayleaf Hotel in Intramuros, Manila.
According to the International Diabetes Federation, the Philippines currently has four million diabetics and “a worryingly large unknown number who are unaware they have diabetes,” thus the country has been named as one of the world’s emerging diabetes hot spots.
Aside from a physical store described by Mr. Felix as “very modern and very zen,” the store also has an online counterpart (www.thediabetesstore.com.ph) where people can order their goods and have them delivered within the Philippines.
The items available are separated into five categories: Consume (food items), Check (monitoring equipment such as glucose meters), Control (medicines and supplements), Care (support items such as diabetic socks) and Counsel (as one can consult “Personal Diabetes Counselors”).
Mr. Felix said that they have partnered with companies such as Sanofi and Omron, among others, for their devices, prescription medicines and meal/food items.
“We value interaction with our customers,” he said before adding that they plan on having monthly lay forums on diabetes management, both inside and outside the store.
By the end of the year, they are planning on setting up a TDS store “up north,” Mr. Felix said, that though they haven’t decided on the exact location yet. He added that they have also set their sights on going outside the Philippines, specifically in the Southeast Asian region within three years.
The Diabetes Store is located at 198 J. Elizalde St., Phase V, BF Homes, Parañaque City, Metro Manila. For more information, call (02) 801-8553 or e-mail info@thediabetesstore.com.ph.
