The Philippines and India agreed Saturday to improve their cooperation in pharmaceuticals in a bid to provide cheap medicines to Filipinos, especially to the poor people.

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and visiting Indian President Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam witnessed the signing of the agreement between the Philippine International Trading Corp. and its Indian counterpart for pharmaceuticals to expand the Philippines' supply base for quality medicines from India.

Since 2000, India has been the supplier of multinational- branded medicines to the Philippines under the government's parallel importation program.

PITC, the only legally authorized entity to undertake parallel importation of pharmaceuticals, purchased such goods solely from India, from 2000 up to present. Total annual imports have grown steadily, reaching close to 1 million U.S. dollars in 2005.

Source: Xinhua