Help Save Lives.

22 JANUARY 2007

With huge medicine boxes, members of the Cut the Cost, Cut the Pain Network (3CPNET) and Alyansang Abot-Kayang Gamot sa Abot-Kayang Presyo (AGAP) troop to the House of Representatives today to call for the speedy passage of HB 6035 – An Act amending several provisions of the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines (IPC). 

“As public servants, our congressmen have a duty to respect and protect the public’s interest. We are appealing to our public servants today to protect our rights through the swift passage of HB 6035. The Bill if passed into law will not merely fulfill the public’s right to health; it will save millions of Filipino lives.” Edeliza Hernandez, Coordinator, Cut the Cost, Cut the Pain Network (3CPNET) said.

Hernandez furthered, “The oversized medicine boxes represent the overpriced drugs and medicines sold in the Philippine market. It does not relieve the pain of illness, it further aggravates it.” 

According to the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC), As of February 2006, Philippines sells essential drugs including Ponstan at 21.82 per mg tab, while the same drug is sold in India for 2.61, In Pakistan at 1.38. Another Medicine, Ventolin, is sold at 315.00/100mcginh, comparatively higher than in India – 123.31 and in Pakistan – 62.10.

House Bill 6035 seeks to ammend RA 8293, the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines (IPC) making IPC more responsive to the health needs of the public. HB6035 includes amendments to include the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) safeguards based on the Doha Declaration. The TRIPS safeguards include Compulsory Licensing, Parallel Importation, and Bolar Provisions. 

The Cut the Pain, Cut the Cost Network (3CPNet) is a network of different women, community, and health non-government organizations concerned with the effects of the World Trade Organization -Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (WTO-TRIPS) agreement on the health sector, specifically on the issue of access to safe and affordable medicines.