MANILA, Philippines -- Bausch + Lomb, the global eye health company, is continuing its geographic expansion and today opened for business in the Philippines. In an event attended by many eye care specialists and opinion leaders, Dr. Joel Javier, Bausch + Lomb Philippines’ newly appointed country manager, outlined the company’s plans for bringing its extensive portfolio of eye health products to Filipino doctors and to the patients who need them.
"Bausch + Lomb is present in over 100 countries around the world and we are pleased to be able to bring our products to the Philippines. Whilst some products have been available here in the past, we will now be working ourselves with eye care professionals to bring a wide range of products to the Filipino people. This approach is entirely consistent with our vision of becoming the best global eye health company and that means being the best here in the Philippines too," says Dr. Javier.
Bausch + Lomb Philippines will offer products from across all three of the company’s business units: Vision Care, Pharmaceuticals and Surgical. Among Bausch + Lomb’s most popular brands are PureVision® contact lenses, renu® andBiotrue™ contact lens solutions, prescription and over the counter products pharmaceuticals such as Ocuvite® eye vitamin and mineral supplements and the state-of-the-art vitrectomy and phacoemulsification platform, the Stellaris® PC Vision Enhancement system. Within the Philippines, the company will partner with eye care professionals, optical stores, doctors and pharmacists to market a full suite of eye health products and platforms.
"While we may not be the biggest eye health player in the Philippines today,” said Dr. Javier, “we do intend to become the best at meeting the needs of Filipinos."
According IMA (International Market Assessment) Asia, eye specialist's conduct an average of 80,000 cataract operations every year in the Philippines, as it still remains the leading cause of blindness for adults.
"The country’s demographic gives us a few interesting insights. According to the Philippine College of Optometry, approximately 30 percent of the 92 million Filipinos suffer from refractive errors; whether they would need glasses or contact lenses can be argued. The deterioration of vision can start at any stage in life, so even with the population’s median age of 22, we expect a rise in demand for products and eye care services to balloon especially as the population ages," says Dr. Javier.
To address the concern, Bausch + Lomb has partnered with some of the Philippines’ premiere hospitals such as the Asian Eye Institute, St. Lukes Medical Center, and East Avenue Medical Center as a provider of surgical equipment.
Prior to Bausch + Lomb’s establishment of a Philippine office, many surgical systems were sourced from a distributor or other markets. An established office within the Philippines promises eye health professionals not only enhanced access to products but more efficient servicing of these high-quality surgical platforms.
"There are many other cases of vision impairment that are preventable or treatable. For most people, this can be done by simply consulting with a doctor on a regular basis. We wish to do our part to help Filipinos see better so that they can live better," said Dr. Javier.
About Bausch + Lomb
Bausch + Lomb is one of the best-known and most respected healthcare companies in the world. Its core businesses include contact lenses and lens care products, ophthalmic surgical devices and instruments, and ophthalmic pharmaceuticals. Founded in 1853, the company is headquartered in Rochester, N.Y., and employs roughly 11,000 people worldwide. Its products are available in more than 100 countries. More information is available at www.bausch.com.
® and ™ are registered trademarks of Bausch & Lomb Incorporated.
# # #
News Media Contacts:
Leah Caringal
GreenBulb PR Agency on behalf of Bausch + Lomb
+09178316389 or leah.caringal@greenbulbpr.com
Diane Hidalgo
GreenBulb PR Agency on behalf of Bausch + Lomb
+ 09175543325 or diane@greenbulbpr.com
United States
