A New Place to Use AICS Assistance
GENERAL SANTOS CITY - For qualified AICS beneficiaries in General Santos City, the renewed DSWD-Mercury Drug arrangement creates another practical point for using government medical assistance. DSWD announced that 262 selected Mercury Drug branches nationwide would resume accepting Guarantee Letters beginning June 2026. The agency explained that the partnership is intended to make medicines and essential medical supplies easier to obtain for people receiving AICS assistance. The official participating-branch list includes Mercury Drug–Pendatun in General Santos City, placing an outlet within the city among the locations identified for the arrangement. Beneficiaries still need a DSWD-issued Guarantee Letter and must transact at participating branches covered by the program.
What the Guarantee Letter Actually Does
A DSWD Guarantee Letter is not simply a discount voucher. Under the AICS system, it serves as an official assurance of payment for covered assistance provided by an authorized service provider. In the case of participating pharmacies, the arrangement allows eligible beneficiaries to obtain prescribed medicines and essential medical supplies covered by their assistance. The renewed partnership is part of DSWD’s broader effort to work with private establishments so that social protection services can be accessed through more convenient channels. Mercury Drug separately confirmed that its participating branches began accepting DSWD-issued GLs and described the arrangement as a way to help AICS beneficiaries obtain needed medicines with greater convenience.
A Regional Option With a Local Address
The development is especially useful to frame at the SOCCSKSARGEN level because the participating-branch list includes several outlets across Region XII. The listed locations include branches in South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and General Santos City, giving qualified beneficiaries different points where their DSWD assistance may be used. For General Santos, the inclusion of the Pendatun branch means residents do not necessarily have to look outside the city for a participating Mercury Drug outlet. DSWD nevertheless advises clients to check the official list and confirm participation before making a transaction. The arrangement does not mean every Mercury Drug branch accepts Guarantee Letters; participation is limited to selected outlets under the renewed agreement.
