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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE-PHILIPPINES GAINS ACCESS TO INDIAN DIGITAL LIBRARY OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE SYSTEMS

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NEW DELHI — The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) joined the growing number of national patent offices across the world to have exclusive access to India’s digital repository of its traditional medical systems, with the conclusion of the requisite agreement between the two countries this month.

Established in 2001 as a joint project of India’s Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH), the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) houses an extensive body of information on medicinal plants and formulations used in traditional Indian medicine systems.

Currently, the TKDL database boasts of about 515,000 formulations and practices from Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Yoga and Sowa Rigpa. Efforts are ongoing to include traditional Indian agricultural and metallurgical knowledge into the library.

TKDL2 Finalized on 20 January this year, the Access Agreement with the CSIR allows the IPOPHL to access information for effectively assessing patent applications involving traditional Indian systems, and forestalling the faulty or erroneous grant of patents. At ceremonies held at the CSIR’s New Delhi headquarters on 24 January, Philippine Ambassador to India Josel F. Ignacio and CSIR’s TKDL Unit Chief Dr. Viswajanani J Sattigeri presided over the ceremonial exchange of copies of the Access Agreement. With the agreement, IPOPHL joins the ranks of the patent offices of 16 other countries with such arrangements with CSIR. Auspiciously, the conclusion and ceremonial exchange of the IPOPHL-CSIR agreement coincided with rites commemorating the 25^th year of the TKDL.

With the Ambassador was Embassy Economic Officer (Third Secretary) Melissa Anne M. Telan and Attaché Rina Isabel P. de Chavez.

Gracing the event were former Secretary of the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Dr. Shailaja Chandra, former CSIR Director General Dr. Raghunath A Mashelkar, Ministry of AYUSH Secretary Vd. Rajesh Kotecha, Additional Secretary Himani Pande of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), and current CSIR Director General Dr. N. Kalaiselvi. END

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128th Anniversary of Gat Dr. Rizal’s Martyrdom Marked Solemnly in New Delhi

NEW DELHI – The sacrifice a full 128 years ago and timeless legacy of national hero Dr. José P. Rizal (1861-1896) were honored in the Indian capital today by the Philippine Embassy.

Mirroring observances across the Philippines and around the globe, Ambassador Josel F. Ignacio led the solemn flag-raising and floral offering ceremony before Gat Dr. Rizal’s bust in front of the Chancery. Embassy personnel individually offered lilies, chosen for its symbolism both of a life’s passing and of rebirth.

“This year’s commemoration calls on all of us – as citizens, as public servants, as members of the Filipino Community in India -- to tread the path to our national rebirth, for which Dr. Rizal’s life and lessons hold lasting lessons”, said Ambassador Ignacio.

The Ambassador was referencing the theme of the 2024 anniversary prescribed by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, “Rizal: Sa Bagong Pilipinas, Buhay at Aral Aming Nilalandas” (Rizal: in the New Philippines, Life and Lessons We Tread)

Though he managed to briefly visit nearby Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in 1882 on his maritime voyage to Europe and reportedly studied Sanskrit, fate did not bring Dr. Rizal to India.

Nonetheless, the hero’s fame and legacy extends to the country. The Diplomatic Enclave in New Delhi has the eponymous Jose P. Rizal Marg (Road). Rizal is also revered among many Indians for his espousal of non-violence, for which a parallel is drawn with the nation’s father, Mahatma Gandhi. No less than then President Shri Ram Nath Kovind underscored this shared outlook between the two greats, during his State Visit to the Philippines in 2019.

Notably, Rizal biographer León María Guerrero, author of the standard text The First Filipino (1962) and acclaimed translator of Rizal’s novels, was also Ambassador to India in 1966-1973. END

Ambassador Ignacio Pays Respect to Late Former Indian PM Dr. Manmohan Singh, Signs Condolence Book

NEW DELHI – Philippine Ambassador to India Josel F. Ignacio visited the Ministry of External Affairs today to honor the late Indian Prime Minister Shri Dr. Manmohan Singh (1932-2024), and to sign the condolence book opened by the Ministry at its headquarters at the Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan.

He was Prime Minister from 2004 until 2014, and was the first Sikh to hold the office. The Government of India has declared a period of national mourning following the demise of the former Premier on 26 December. Tributes have since poured for his service and legacy, particularly in spearheading economic reforms regarded as helping usher in India to its track of rapid growth.

Former PM Singh’s funeral took place on 28 December, with full state honors.

Dr. Singh also contributed to the enhancement of Philippines-India ties. During his incumbency, then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo received him on his visit to Cebu for the 5^th ASEAN-India Summit and the 2^nd East Asia Summit on 13-15 January 2007. Later that year, he received President Arroyo on the latter’s State Visit to India on 4-6 October 2007. Leader-level engagement continued into the succeeding administration, with PM Singh meeting then President Benigno S. Aquino III at ASEAN-related meetings, most notably on the sidelines of the 21^st ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Phnom Penh in Cambodia.

During his term, the Indian government also dispatched Indian emergency relief and humanitarian assistance to the Philippines, in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013. END