Indian businesses to benefit from PH research applications

MANILA -- Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato dela Peña on Friday highlighted research achievements of the department which can help prospective Indian businesses looking to invest in the country.

During the Phil-India Trade Consultations at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel, dela Peña told delegates that the advances in technology spearheaded by the DOST in areas of agriculture, manufacturing and electronics can prove as beneficial for those interested with investing in such sectors.

He noted that the department has pioneered research aimed at addressing the problems of various industries, such as the construction of genome centers towards halting the decrease in coconut numbers and development of efficient packaging to lessen food spoilage.

The DOST has also spent efforts in aiding industries that have significant contributions to the economy, where testing laboratories have been established in improving semiconductor and electronics manufacturing that make up more than 60% of manufactured exports.

Dela Peña admitted, however, that despite the research initiatives of the DOST, there are areas where the Philippines can learn from India.

“Of course, certain areas where we know India has advanced so much, and there are also areas where we are quite also ahead,” he said.

The manufacture of synthetic drugs and mass transport are some of the aspects where India can lend the Philippines its technical expertise and experience.

In this case, dela Peña emphasized that cooperation between the two countries is a mutually beneficial setup, where Philippine research can help Indian businesses, while Indians investing in the country can bring scientific knowledge with them.

“There are also technologies that we have developed wherein you might have certain interests, and definitely there are many technologies in India where we are interested in so we can develop that kind of collaboration through an official agreement or understanding,” he added.

Meanwhile, a Department of Health official on Friday underscored the importance of affordable medicines for the effective implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act, where Indian businesses can be tapped as a major supplier.

As part of the PhilIndia Trade Consultations held in Makati City on Friday, Health Undersecretary Rolando Enrique Domingo mentioned the opportunity for Indian pharmaceuticals to help reduce the prices of synthetic drugs available to Filipinos.

The scheduled implementation of the Universal Health Care Act next year

would require the government to source medicines that fit its criteria on affordability and effectiveness.

“With the Universal Health Care coming in 2020 next year, the government and PhilHealth will be the major procurer of services and drugs and supplies for the whole country. And we foresee that there’s a very bright future for more drugs coming into the Philippines, especially from India,” he said.

Domingo noted that India is a major trading partner of the Philippines when it comes to medicines.

“It consists of medicines of up to 12 percent of all imports from India in the Philippines. It’s about 200 million dollars a year. Most of it, 90 percent, will be bought by the government,” he added.

While stressing the need for affordable medicines in the country, Domingo said these also need to be of high quality.

“We need medicines to come into our country. We need good quality medicines, we need safe medicines, we need efficacious medicines, and of course, we have to make it affordable. Because our budget for universal health care is not unlimited,” he said.

Domingo also disclosed that when the Philippines needed cheaper medicines in the past, it was India who was selected to provide them.

“When we started our Cheaper Medicines Act in 2009, even before that in 2001, we started to make sure that drug prices in the Philippines become lower and the first thing we did is import medicines from India,” he said.