This Anita Carillo Gomez-Rescate, now 75 years old, stressed, smiling when her daughter told her mom that I have come for an interview in her home in Numancia town.
I smiled back and politely told her that the young people of today especially the young practitioners of pharmacy I’ve met wonder at how she manages to make her life as an open book.
“When you’re sincere in giving yourself to others, you shall not hide anything. People see you everyday. They know who you are and what you do. God knows everything you think,” she said.
Yes, the success of Mrs. Rescate as a family woman, pharmacist and community leader is a good story to tell. She continues to inspire her fellow Aklanons to give their best. In January, 2008 during the 40th Anniversary celebration of the Aklan Pharmacists Association (APhA), she was conferred the Ruby Jubilee Award.
The Farmacia Gomez, founded in 1958, still exists as a symbol of her strength, struggles and achievements for the last 50 years. No other pharmacy in the province, or shall we say, no other business in the locality, managed to survive that long. The main branch still stands proud and mighty at the capital town’s Kalibo Shopping Center. Branches were established in Boracay.
Farmacia Gomez is indeed a monumental feat. Aklanons patronize Farmacia Gomez and its chain of pharmacy stores provincewide. The company’s jingle is played everytime over local radio stations like RGMA-DyRU Super Radyo Kalibo. That makes sense for even well-off families come to the store for its affordable medicines.
No wonder, Rescate was voted President for two terms of APhA and chapter president of the Drugstore Association of the Philippines (DSAP). Mabel P. Ureta-Concepcion, Vice President for Visayas of the Philippine Pharmacists Association, describes the elder Rescate as “a woman of incomparable persuasive power.”
Even at the age of 75, she continues to shine as a model of excellence in the field of Business and Industry, Community Service through Community Pharmacy and Professional Competence. On top of this, her professional career spans fifty-two (52) long years of dedicated and committed work as a registered community pharmacist, socio-civic leader, drug store owner, Consultant and Adviser of numerous business and professional organization and founder of longest-serving drugstore chain in Aklan. There’s no doubt that she deserves the kind of recognition befitting a highly-esteemed, respected professional and business leader whose compassion for service transcend community
Why Pharmacy
Even as child, she was impressed by a wonderful idea of embracing medicine or an allied profession, perhaps a Medical Technology course, as a lifelong career. There was a shortage of doctor in the province. Her mom who was suffering from a lingering illness has to be transported by boat from Numancia to Kalibo. A bridge was a dream before.
Mrs. Rescate looked backed with fondness at her childhood memories. “Since there was no doctor, I had in my mind a vague idea that I should marry a doctor so there will be one in the family. I have set two basic guidelines for my would-be partner in life . His eyes must be chinito for I have big eyes. He must have high nose for mine is not.
“At a young age, I joked of having lovely kids. God is so good. I was married to a doctor with chinito eyes, high nose. He’s from Lezo town,” she said pointing her fingers to a framed photograph of a man hanging on the wall.
But she thought she would never finished college for there was the World War II. After the war, she enrolled for elementary school and finished first three grade levels for one year, another two for another one year and then the sixth grade.
“We were accelerated because of our age. So during my high school days at Aklan Academy, we find it hard to comprehend but I did well. I finished high school with honors,” she remembered.
She thought of taking up Medical Technology but finally enrolled for BS Pharmacy at the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) in Manila. Pharmacy was then the right course for children of the elite families.
In the 1950s, pharmacies were set up right at the home so she had an idea that when she become one, she can still be a wife and a mother and look after the welfare of her husband and children. “It was weird,” she said laughing.
“I studied well and even walked my way to the school from our home in Manila and made savings. My father bought a piece of land in Manila. Every Christmas time I go home, I had gifts for my family. I learned to value money at an early age.”
She graduated in 1955.
Ups and Downs
In 1958, she put up Farmacia Gomez, a small drug store in the capital town of Kalibo. Her sister resigned from work and helped her run the business. There were only two drug stores. The other later closed down.
In 1972, a fire razed the old public market where Farmacia Gomez stood.
“We started all over again. Our children were very small. Luckily, we had another business, the Rescate Concrete Products. Two years after, my husband was diagnosed of cancer. I thought he was sick of thinking about that 1972 fire incident which burned down almost all our resources. He said it had nothing to do with the business. I believed him because he was a doctor.
He was already Assistant Chief of the Provincial Health Office at that time. He died in 1975. His husband’s promotion paper as a full-pledged Chief of Office was already signed at the time of his demise. She was 40.
She never thought of marrying again and instead, concentrated on her business and her children. There were few drugstores and “I need to help people.” Another big pharmacy closed shop. It was owned by Mabasa who ventured into the cottage industry.” It was God’s will for both of us, drug owners. The old Mabasa was eventually recognized in 1977 as the country’s cottage industry icon. I was left attending to the Aklanon’s pharmacy needs.”
In June, 2008 storm Frank destroyed millions worth of their pharmacy items. It was a big blow on her business. But stern as she, she continues to rise up to challenges. “Believe in God’s plans. He’ll never give you trials you can’t stand. He knows best for us,” Mrs. Rescate, a devote Catholic and member of the Catholic Women’s League believes so.
All through the years, she had seen many drug stores closed down. Others even sold counterfeit drugs.
Even at the ripe age of 75, Mrs. Rescate reports to her small office at Kalibo Shopping Center, attending to every details of the store’s operation. On official duties, she attends to charity works of professional organizations. “I have no plans of retiring. Pharmacy is my life.”
Legacy
“I encourage my children and grandchildren to go into pharmacy but I never forced them to be what I am. I wanted them to succeed in their chosen careers.” Two of her daughters are now registered pharmacists.
In 1983, her daughter Annie finished BS Pharmacy also at the UST. After graduation, she put up Farmacia Rescate.
“I always tell my grandchildren to be hardworking and prayerful. We need to devote our time to God.” Mrs. Rescate has, in fact, designated a “place of worship” in her house right at an area before a guest enters the living room.
“My children and my grandchildren are my treasures. If seeing them mature in life is a source of pride and contentment, then I thank God for I am now truly fulfilled,” she said.
INTERVIEW WITH AN ACHIEVER
published in Panay News, 2008
