Manila Bulletin – March 15, 2007

Filipinos living and working abroad who wish to send affordable but quality medicines to their relatives in the Philippines can do so with the newest program of state-owned Philippine International Trading Corp. Ph arma Inc. (PITC Pharma Inc.).

Dubbed "Gamot Padala para sa Pamilyang Pinoy" program, PITC Pharma, headed by Secretary Ro­berto M. Pagdanganan as chairman and president" formalized its partner­ship with Sukhwinder "Bob" Singh Rai of Phar­ma Canada Inc. with the signing of a memorandum of agreement at the Pent­house of the NDC Build­ing in Salcedo Village, Makati City.

Pharma Canada will operate a website where Filipinos abroad can place their orders of medicines and remit payments through an online e-wallet scheme while PITC Phar­ma will have it delivered to the intended recipient in the Philippines.

Pagdanganan said that this is another milestone in the history of PITC be­cause Filipinos overseas need not send money to their relatives here in order to buy medicines. Instead, they themselves can send medicines through Gamot Padala.

Aside from this, Pag­danganan said that their future projects include the joint operation of Botika ng Bayan outlets as provincial distribu­tion depots, promotion of the BnB program as a business or investment opportunity for overseas Filipinos or their fami­lies, an adopt-a-Filipino patient scheme through which overseas Filipinos are able to channel dona­tions to the needy, medical missions, and medicine or hospital equipment dona­tions to deserving chari­table institutions.

"The program will ini­tially serve the United States, Canada, Spain, United Kingdom, Sweden, France, and Ge.rmany," Pagdanganan said.

He added that the agreement with Pharma Canada is good for five years and exclusive in the agreed seven territories but only when utilizing the propriety scheme or technology to be devel­oped by Pharma Canada for the project.

Pharma Canada is the Philippine subsidiary of Canadian Pacific Global Pharmaceutical Inc., which is engaged in the marketing and distribu­tion of pharmaceutical products worldwide, as well as the operation of a number of drugstores in Canada.

It was established to develop innovative mechanisms, including Internet based marketing to supply and distribute generic and branded medicines and hospital equipment in the Philip­pines.