Sel-J Sports

Healing the World

by : Robbie Pangilinan

He is no doctor, but he plays a major role in the field of medicine. The President of one of the

Philippines’ most active and aggressive national pharmaceutical companies today knows that his is a noble business – the business of healing the sick.

“When we launched our company and our portfolio, we presented ourselves to the medical community in such strong statements, believing that we had every right and reason to be part of the pharmaceutical business,” Jay Lacnit, President of SEL-J Pharmaceuticals, said. SEL-J Pharmaceuticals is a relatively new player in the prescription market, although it has long been known for its major role in government business. Since its establishment in 1998 in Pagadian City, SEL-J has been supplying a large chunk of healthcare products in government institutions through tenders and bids.

It started as a small drugstore when the Generics Law had been passed in Congress. Then

opportunities to distribute healthcare products came and doors were opened to source affordable medicines from local importers based in Manila. SEL-J transferred to Manila in 2001 and in 2008, the Ethical Division was created to penetrate the private prescription market. In 2009, SEL-J expanded its products to high-generation injectable antibiotics. Lacnit admits that all these would have been impossible to achieve if not for the hardworking people behind SEL-J. He says he is not very hands-on in the business because he believes that the people who work for him are good, trustworthy and highly capable. In fact, he says that his top marketing strategy is having experienced people and good products that conform to the highest standards of quality.

SEL-J is possibly the only pharmaceutical company which submits its products for bio-assay tests at the National Institutes of Health, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of the Philippines. Results prove that SEL-J products are equivalent to the innovator drugs. “We want to create an impression that we can be the best in the industry, and we believe that sooner we will be able to achieve that,” Lacnit beams.

SEL-J keeps its prices competitive, sometimes substantially lower to ensure that Filipino patients get the medicines they need. SEL-J has committed itself to helping Filipinos afford the increasing costs of healthcare.

Another thing that sets SEL-J apart is its sports development strategy. Believing that sports is a key component of health and wellness, it established SEL-J Sports in 2009 to be at the forefront of the battle against disease.

SEL-J is not all business. It is a company with heart. It was one of the first private companies that responded to the government’s call during the Ondoy and Pepeng tragedies. SEL-J distributed relief goods at ULTRA, Marikina, Laguna and as far away as Ilocos and Baguio. It is involved in church-planting in the Visayas where it supports pastors. It also donates drugs and medicines to poor communities.

Lacnit, considered a visionary, is guided by this philosophy: Put patients at the core of your job, be relentless in pursuing ways not only to satisfy your customers, but delight them in the highest level.The most important lesson he has learned in running this business is that everything boils down to

people: employees, customers, doctors, and patients. With these in heart and mind, Lacnit and SEL-J Pharmaceuticals is in the right business – of healing the sick, and eventually, helping to heal the world.