Philippines Courts Indian Medical Students with Affordable Education

• India and Philippines celebrated 75 years of diplomatic ties with a Cultural Education Exchange Summit in Cebu, spotlighting education, healthcare, and cultural cooperation.
• Thiruvalluvar statue unveiled and Pillai Medical Scholarship launched, highlighting growing Indo-Philippine medical education ties and honoring shared civilizational links.
• Plans for Global Knowledge City in Tamil Nadu unveiled, as medical education emerges as a pillar of bilateral relations, offering affordable, quality training for Indian students.

India and the Philippines celebrated 75 years of diplomatic ties with the Indo-Philippine Cultural Education Exchange Summit, which was recently organized at Gullas College of Medicine in Cebu. The summit, held in association with Transworld Educare, stressed major advances in education, healthcare, and cultural relations between the two countries.

One of the highlights of the summit was the inauguration of a statue of Tamil poet-philosopher Thiruvalluvar and the Pillai Medical Scholarship, which underscored bilateral cooperation in medical education. Indian Ambassador to the Philippines, H.E. Harsh Kumar Jain, highlighted the strong cultural and trade connections between the two nations, citing that the ties are deeper than the formal opening of diplomatic relations in 1949.

"Out culture, commerce, and civilizational exchanges reach far into history", Ambassador Jain emphasized, citing evidence of language and archaeology. The fact that Filipino languages contain Sanskrit-derived words and that one of the country's oldest artifacts, the Lavana inscription, was in a script adapted from India's Pallava script, are all proofs of this shared history.

Strengthening Educational and Economic Ties

The summit also highlighted increasing economic and educational collaborations. Bilateral trade between the Philippines and India exceeded $3.5 billion last year, and investments are increasing. The launch of an e-visa program for Indian citizens in December 2024 has also eased tourism and business interactions. Authorities have also indicated the soon-to-be-launched exclusive student visa program to accommodate the growing number of Indian students seeking medical education in the Philippines.

Ambassador Jain emphasized the importance of this partnership, as he quoted India's External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar: "This significant anniversary is both a celebration of what we have achieved and a reminder of what lies ahead. Our friendship is indeed a lasting one which is now ready to elevate to a higher plane".

Medical Education as Pillar of Indo-Philippine Relations

Medical education has become one of the most important areas of collaboration between the two countries. Dr. David Pillai, Transworld Educare President and Chairman Kings International Medical Academy, highlighted his vision of changing medical education through international collaborations.

I would like to ensure that this school will be absolutely futuristic in three years' time. And you will not have another school so advanced and futuristic like this," Pillai declared. His grander vision involves the development of a 'Global Knowledge City' in Tamil Nadu, India, as a focal point for best global universities, such as Harvard, Cambridge, and Oxford, at a quarter of the current cost of education.

Ambassador Jain acknowledged Dr. Pillai’s contributions, stating, “Dr. Pillai has been one of the pioneers in establishing close cooperation with the Philippines in the field of medical education. His initiatives, including the Pillai Medical Scholarship Program, reflect a strong commitment to educational excellence in healthcare.”

A Win-Win Model for Indian Medical Students

The Philippines has become an Indian medical student's popular destination because it focuses on clinical exposure and is also affordable to study. Transworld Educare's Managing Director Kadwin Pillai clarified that unlike India, where students used to train at a single parent hospital, institutions in the Philippines tie up with more than one hospital, allowing students to get intensive clinical exposure from their second year.

The cost factor is also a great attraction. Private medical studies in India can run over ₹1 crore, but pre-med, MD, internship, lodging, and travel in the Philippines total approximately ₹40 lakh for six years. That provides a cheaper substitute for thousands of Indian students competing for scant medical seats in their native land.

Two Decades of Educational Partnership

The Indo-Philippines medical education tie-up was initiated in 1999, and the first group of Indian students reached the Philippines in 2001. Over the years, there has been a remarkable increase in the number of Indian students in the Philippines, and the average first-time passing percentage of India's medical licensing examination stands at 80%.

With India and the Philippines marking 75 years of diplomatic relations, the summit highlighted how education and cultural exchange remain key pillars of our relationship", Ambassador Jain says. Our partnership is based on shared values and mutual respect, and I'm confident it will continue to prosper, bringing prosperity to both countries.

With projects like the Thiruvalluvar statue, the Pillai Medical Scholarship, and the envisaged Global Knowledge City, India-Philippines relations are to become even greater in the future.