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A Brief on India-Philippines Bilateral Relations
Two Indian Naval Ships INS Sahyadri and INS Kiltan visited the Philippines from October 23-26, 2019.
The earliest major Indian investment in the Philippines was the Aditya Birla Group in textiles & Chemicals (Indo Phil Group). A recent major entrant has been the GMR group Ltd, who in collaboration with a local company Megawide, won the bid in April 2014 for upgrading and operation of the Cebu-Mactan airport project for the next 25 years. The airport was inaugurated and has commenced operations in 2018. GMR-Megawide have also won the bid for Clark International airport expansion. Tata Motors and Mahindra have made their presence felt in the Automobile sector. Collaboration in the BPO sector has grown exponentially in the last ten years or so. Several Indian IT companies have already set up BPO operations in the Philippines and these include companies like WIPRO, TCS, L&T Infotech, Innodata, IL&FS Genpact, Infosys, HGS, Tech Mahindra etc. This close partnership in IT & BPO has become a win-win situation for both countries. Similarly Indian companies have a strong presence in Pharma (Generics) where Pharma majors like Dabur Pharma, Lupin, Torrent, ZydusCadilla, and Claris Life sciences have set up liaison office to promote their products. Lupin has also acquired a stake in a local company. Recently Wipro consumer products division has acquired a local personal care line called Splash at an estimated cost US$ 200 million. Estimated Indian investments in the Philippines are valued at more than US $ 900 million. During the last few years, Indian companies have successfully executed some small and medium sized projects in the Philippines. Kalpataru and Kamani Engineering Corporation are presently engaged in executing transmission line projects in the Mindanao regions of the Philippines. Other engineering firms have been repairing and setting up sugar plants for Philippine companies. Recently, WIPRO Enterprises Pvt. Ltd has acquired a Filipino line of personal care products called Splash Corp, valued at about US$ 200 million. Philippine investments in India in the past have been modest.
Various Joint Working Groups [JWG] have been set up and their meetings, particularly the JWG on Trade and Investment, on Agriculture, on Health, on Tourism and on Renewable Energy are expected to identify new growth and partnership areas between government and industry in both countries and contribute towards enhanced two-way growth in trade and investment. Recently, the 3rd JWG on Health and 2nd JWG on Agriculture took place in Manila in April and May 2018 respectively. Also the India-Philippines ‘Air-Consultation Talks’ were held on 11-12 July 2018.This meeting arrived at an agreement on a new revised and updated Air Services Agreement. Additionally, consultations on science and technology, defence, and other areas are also expected to have their flow-on impact. The Engineering Export Promotion Council of India(EEPC) for the first time held its flagship Technology Expo INDEE-2018 in Manila which around 75 Indian companies participated. A 23 member delegation from Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (PHARMEXCIL) visited the Philippines from 16-18 January, 2019. The main highlight of the visit was the “India Biz Connect: Pharma Edition” on 18 January 2019, which was organized in association with Philippine-India Business Council (PIBC) and the Mission.
AG&P of the Philippines has plans to invest up to US$ 1.4 billion in LNG plants in the East Coast of India as well as in the 12 city gas grids in India that they have won in open bidding in 2019.
There exists a Cultural Exchange Programme between the two countries which was renewed for 2019-2023 during the President’s visit to Philippines in October 2019. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in November 2017, an MoU between ICCR and University of the Philippines Diliman (UP) was signed for the establishment of the ICCR Chair of Indian Studies at the Asian Center, UP. A five-member group sponsored by ICCR of renowned Dhrupad vocalists, Gundecha Brothers, visited the Philippines from 29 September to 2 October, 2013. An 8-member cultural troupe, Rondalla Ensemble participated from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) of Philippines in the Grand Finale of IIC Experience organised by the India International Centre in New Delhi from 17-24 October 2013. The University of Philippines staged a musical adaptation of Indian epic, 'Mahabharata' in their theatre in February-March 2014 and buoyed by the success, this was staged again in July 2014. An Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) sponsored 6-member Odissi dance troupe led by Ms. Nandini Ghosal visited Philippines in June 2015 and performed at the Asia Pacific College, Makati, Manila on 27 June 2015; and at the Davao Medical School Foundation Auditorium on 28 June 2015; a 5-member musical troupe Krosswindz visited the Philippines from 19-22 November 2015 and performed in Manila. T.M. Krishna, Carnatic vocal artiste performed in Manila on 1 September 2016. An ICCR sponsored 7 member delegation led by Ms. Jayaprabha Menon visited the Philippines from May 8-11, 2017 to participate in the Dance Xchange Festival. Embassy of India sponsored the visit of a Ramayana dance troupe from Mindanao to India in 2018 that performed in Kolkata and New Delhi to great acclaim. A contemporary dance group “Sadhya” led by Mr. Santosh Nair sponsored by ICCR visited the Philippines during the President’s visit and performed during the Business Conclave and Gala dinner on 19th October 2019 and during the community reception on 20th October 2019.
There are regular Indian cultural events in Manila and other parts of the Philippines on events such as National Days (Republic Day & Independence Day), Indian Festivals (Holi, Diwali etc.) and other important events (Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas, International Yoga Day etc.). There also exist local Indian clubs and organisations, who organize cultural events in the Philippines, including a Flute Concert by Shashank in March 2014 and by vocalist Ashwini Bhide Deshpande in October 2014. As mentioned earlier, an Indian community reception was held during the visit of Prime Minister Modi on 13 November 2017 and another was held during MoS (VKS) to Manila from August 6-9, 2017. As part of the Embassy’s effort to promote culinary diplomacy, an Indian Food Festival was organized from September 11-17 in collaboration with the Sofitel Hotel, Manila. The Indian cuisine was also showcased during the Taste of the World Festival at the Adamson University on 6 December, 2017. The Embassy of India has also participated in the DFA’s year-end diplomatic reception and fashion show, “Colours of Asia Pacific” on 13 December, 2017. During the visit of President Kovind in October 2019, a community reception was held on 20th October 2019, which was attended by over 1000 community members. There was a cultural performance by the contemporary group from ICCR “Sadhya” followed by the Address of the President to the community.
This year, as part of the celebrations of the 70 years of diplomatic relations between India and the Philippines, which started in 1949, the Embassy of India in Manila organized various events including a concert of Indian classical dance and an Indian Food Festival. Ms. Amrita Lahiri, a highly renowned Indian Classical (Kuchipudi) Dance exponent empanelled with ICCR, performed in the Philippines from January 20-28, 2019. She had various performances in Metro Manila and Davao City which were highly appreciated. Ms. Amrita Lahiri also delivered a performance in praise of Lord Shiva, Lord of Dance and Goddess Durga during the 70th Republic Day of India Reception held on 28 January 2019. On the other hand, the Embassy in association with India Tourism Office, Singapore (Ministry of Tourism, India) organized an Indian Food Festival from 26-29 January 2019 in Manila. ITO Singapore sponsored chefs, Chef Harmeet Singh and Chef Prasanta Mondal from Leela Ambience Convention Hotel from India participated in the events. The renowned Indian chefs had a live kitchen demonstration and headed the food preparation during the 70th Republic Day Reception at Makati Shangri-La Hotel at 28 January 2019. The Indian Food Festival 2019 presented cuisines from various parts of India including Punjab, Rajasthan, Awadh and South India. The Embassy organized, along with Music in Manila, a concert ‘Sangeet Prayag’ incorporating Carnatic and Hindustani music on March 3, 2019. “Mabuhay Bollywood” an Indian Film Festival was organised by the Embassy from 22-25th August in which a total of 10 movies were showcased which attracted a large number of audience and was very well covered in the local media.
To commemorate the first ever ICCR Foundation Day, the Embassy of India, Manila in collaboration with ‘Bharati’, the Expatriate Indian Women’s Association in the Philippines, organized Sahitya Sangam-Literature Festival, a celebration of Indian and shared languages and literature on 26 April, 2019 at Forbes Park, Makati. The event featured ten languages, namely Sanskrit, Sindhi, Hindi, Urdu, Kannada, Gujarati, Tamil, Bengali, Punjabi and Marathi through prose, poetry, song and dance.
To commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Embassy of India organized various events in Manila in October 2018. The Mission in association with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), organized a press conference on 2nd October, 2018 in the Taguig City. The commemorative postage stamps and online quiz competition (Bapu@150) were officially launched during the event. In addition, there was also a LED projection of a 4 minute film at the facade of TCS Building which highlighted the various lessons from Mahatma Gandhi’s life. In addition, the Embassy in association with Bharati Club (The Expat Indian Women's Association in the Philippines) organized a panel discussion/documentary screening on October 5, 2018. The panel discussion focused on Mahatma Gandhi's scheme of education, his impact on Filipino students, his views on economic development and caste system in India. A blood donation camp was also organized by the Embassy in association with Philippine Blood Centre of the Department of Health-Philippines. Filipinos and members of the Indian Community participated in the activity with great enthusiasm. The 15th century Gujarati bhajan and Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite prayer was rendered by famous Filipino singer Ms. Grace Nono. The Embassy of India in Manila in partnership with the Quezon City Local Government, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of the Philippines, the National Bicycle Organization and other local partners successfully organized a bicycling event in celebration of the World Bicycle Day and the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on 02 June 2019 at Quezon City Memorial Circle, Philippines. Around 2,000 cyclists from different parts of Metro Manila participated in the 20 km bike parade which spreads the positive message of "Bicycling for Sustainable Living". A vegetarian Indian food festival was also enjoyed and appreciated by the participants and guests. The Embassy of India in Manila in partnership with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) celebrated the World Environment Day as a part of commemoration of 150th Birth Anniversary Year of Mahatma Gandhi on 07 June 2019 at Havener Auditorium, IRRI, Los Baños, Laguna. Dr. Sudhir Yadav (Senior Scientist, Water Management, Sustainable Impact Platform) gave a seminar called "Feeding the world while protecting the planet" and briefly discussed about IRRI's initiatives to help protect the environment. Ambassador Mazumdar together with IRRI Chief of Staff, Dr. Brothers lead the ceremonial tree planting (Tabebuia Tree) in commemoration of the World Environment Day and the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. IRRI also conducted a tour of the Lloyd Evans Plant Growth Facility for the participants shortly after the ceremony. In line with the 150th Birth Anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi, a bronze bust provided by ICCR of Mahatma Gandhi, sculpted by renowned Indian sculptor Ram Vanji Sutar was installed at the Centre for Peace Education, Miriam College, Quezon City, which was unveiled by the President Ram Nath Kovind on October 20, 2019. Under the aegis of “India for Humanity” which is in consonance with the 150th Birth Anniversary Celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi, President Kovind also visited the Mahaveer Philippine Foundation Inc. (MPFI) on October 19th 2019 and had an interaction with the amputees who have benefitted from the artificial prosthetics “Jaipur foot’.
A team from Kalinga Foundation led by former Foreign Secretary Ambassador Lalit Mansingh visited Manila from 9-12 March 2019 and had extensive discussions with think tanks, DFA and business organizations on strengthening bilateral relations.
To commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the Embassy of India, Manila in collaboration with the Philippine Red Cross and the local Sikh Temples (Gurudwaras) of Manila, San Pablo, Biñan, Batangas, Marikina, Tarlac, Cauayan, Isabela, Angeles, Baguio, and Cebu hosted a Simultaneous Blood Drive and Langar in the Philippines on 11 August 2019 in keeping with the teachings of Sikhism – Sacrifice and service for the well-being of others. More than 500 successful donors, both from local and Indian community, successfully donated blood at various locations all over the Philippines.
As a part of the commemoration of ASEAN-India Year of Tourism the Embassy of India, Manila with the India Tourism Office, Singapore organized the Incredible India Roadshow at Shangri-la Hotel, Makati on 27 August 2019,. The Indian delegation headed by Mr. Gyan Bhushan, Economic Advisor to the Ministry of Tourism was composed of members from Tourism Department of the States of Maharashtra and Rajasthan as well as Indian tour and airlines operators. One-on-one business meetings were also conducted during the event and was well attended by Philippines local tour operators. The event was well covered by media.
There has been significant increase in people-to-people links between India and the Philippines. The Philippines participated in the 9th Delhi Dialogue with the theme “ASEAN-India Relations: Charting the Course for the Next 25 years” from 04-05 July 2017. A 10-member youth delegation from National Youth Commission of the Philippines attended the first-ever ASEAN-India Youth Summit with the theme “Shared Values, Common Destiny.” The Youth Summit was organized by the India Foundation, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and State of Madhya Pradesh to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the ASEAN-India Dialogue Partnership in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh from August 14 to 18, 2018. The 3rd Annual Indian Independence Friendship Cup (Golf Tournament) was organized on 15 August, 2018 by HGS with the support of the Embassy of India. A Filipino artist, Mr. Dennis Gonzales participated in the ASEAN-India Artists’ Camp held in Udaipur from 20-29 September 2017, also a seven member music band named Ransom Collective participated in ASEAN-India Music Festival in New Delhi from 6-8 October 2017, both the events were organized by MEA in collaboration with SEHER. In addition, Mr. Paul Andrew C. Orpiada of the Philippines was awarded the Achiever Corporate Social Responsibility Award during the ASEAN-India Youth Awards Ceremony which was held in New Delhi on 23 January 2018. A 9 member delegation from the Philippines participated in the 2nd ASEAN-India Youth Summit held from 03-05 February 2019 at Guwahati. Also, Dean of the Asian Center of the University of the Philippines, Prof. Joefe B. Santarita participated in the Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj, 2019 from 21-23 February.
Under the ASEAN-India rubric, journalists from the Philippines have been regularly visiting India, the latest being in January 2018 when two journalists from the Philippines namely Mr. Edu Punay (Philippine Star) and Ms. Jeannette Andrade (Philippine Daily Inquirer) visited India for the ASEAN-India Media Exchange Programme. Indian journalists have also visited the Philippines. In addition, every year 25 Philippine students in the 17-28 age group visit India, the latest being in 14-23 January 2018, under the ASEAN-India Students Exchange Programme; and 3 school children visit India to participate in the National Children Science Congress. Shri Yashovardhan Azad, Central Information Commissioner of India delivered lectures in the Philippines on 1-2 December 2014 under the ASEAN-India Eminent Persons Lecture Series and Undersecretary for Policy in the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, Mr. Evan P. Garcia visited India under the same programme from 15-17 July 2015. In addition, we have regular interaction between the parliamentarians, think tanks, farmers, and diplomats. A student of the University of Philippines, Ms. Irene Belplotena has been selected for a scholarship named ‘propagation of Hindi abroad’ administered by the Ministry of Human Resource Development to study Hindi language at the Kendriya Hindi Sansthan in Agra. As in the past three years, this year also International Day of Yoga was celebrated in the Philippines with great zest and fervour. This time the celebration was held at various venues in Manila, Baguio and Davao with the collaboration of various Filipino government offices like the National Youth Commission, Department of Health, Philippine National Police, City Government of City of Taguig and Muntinlupa along with local Yoga teachers and Yoga enthusiasts.
The number of Indian tourists visiting the Philippines has shown a rapid growth in the past few years and now numbers about 120,000 annually. This figure is likely to increase rapidly with direct flights between the two countries being imminent.
Indian Community:The Indian community in the Philippines, according to the Bureau of Immigration, is estimated to be about 1, 30,000. Around 5,000 persons of Indian origin have acquired Filipino citizenship. Punjabis and Sindhis, constitute the bulk of the community. The past ten years has seen a growing number of professionals, and their families estimated in the range of about five to six thousand, who are working in the Philippines, for Indian companies, organizations such as the Asian Development Bank, International Rice Research Institute, UN agencies, as also in multinational corporations, BPOs and with local Filipino companies.
The Philippines is also beginning to emerge as a destination for Indian students. There are more than 15,000 Indian students pursuing medical courses in various universities in the Philippines. The prestigious Asian Institute of Management in Manila has traditionally had many students from India. Flight training schools are also attractive as instructions are in English and costs are comparatively inexpensive. Several universities in the Philippines, such as the University of Santo Tomas, the University of the Philippines, the University of the Visayas, Adamson University, the University of Mindanao and others have opened special ‘India chapters’ in their prestigious libraries, which houses collection of books on India [gifted through the Public Diplomacy division of the Ministry of External Affairs]. A bust of Mother Teresa has been installed at the University of Santo Tomas, gifted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.