PH, India boost ties, eye generic drugs production

President Marcos and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have agreed to boost ties between the Philippines and India with the possible agreement on the production of generic medicines in the country. Mr. Marcos had a phone conversation with Modi on Friday and assured the Asian leader that Manila’s good relations with India would be “stronger.” Modi said he congratulated Mr. Marcos for his election as the country’s 17th President and wished him “a successful tenure.” “I look forward to working closely with him to continue strengthening the India-Philippines ties,” he said in a Twitter post. In May, Mr. Marcos said the Philippines could go into a partnership with India to boost the local manufacturing of generic drugs in the country. “We could go into partnership so we could have a production here in the Philippines,” he said in a press briefing after a meeting with Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Shambhu Kumaran. Kumaran told reporters then that Indian companies were “looking forward to a strong engagement” after he said that the President was “very keen” on the production of pharmaceutical products in the country. —Nestor Corrales