Manila/New Delhi: Peddling its soft power and taking people-to-people contact in Phillippines to a new level, India on October 19 embarked on a series of humane engagements in Manila with its first citizen interacting with Filipino parents whose babies underwent liver transplant in India and distributing ‘Jaipur Foot’ to Filipino amputees.
“Delighted to interact with Filipino parents whose babies underwent liver transplant in India. This is an example of how India-Philippines ties incorporate a strong human connection. May these adorable babies have a healthy and blessed future. My best wishes to their parents too,” the President of India Ram Nath Kovind tweeted.
President of India listened to stories of liver transplantation performed on Filipino infants by Indian doctors at Max and Apollo hospitals to cure Biliary Atresia. Members of local chapter of FICCI are supporting poor patients to meet treatment cost, said Ministry of External Affairs in a tweet.
“Indian medical institutions are working with their counterparts in the Philippines to see how the success rate as well as the costs of similar transplant in the Philippines could be brought down,” the President tweeted, adding “I am delighted that India’s engagement with Philippines has brought people’s causes and life-giving projects within its expanding ambit.”
Meanwhile, President Kovind also visited Mahaveer Philippine Foundation Inc. which distributes free ‘Jaipur Foot’ to Filipino amputees. “The NGO, which receives grant of Government of India, has 3 centres in Philippines and has so far helped more than 15,000 amputees since its inception in 1989,” Ministry of External Affairs said in a tweet on October 19.
President Kovind welcomed initiative of Philippines to explore its pre-colonial linkages with India. Two countries will set up a group of experts to research & document their ancient ties. Laguna copper plate inscription discovered in Philippines bears influence of Pallava script.
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