MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte is offering a P20-million reward to any Filipino who develops respirators for patients infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Malacañang announced yesterday.
The respirators should “outlast the lives of the patients,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.
Duterte made the offer amid the global shortage of respirators and ventilators due to the high demand in treating patients severely infected with COVID-19, according to Roque.
Roque said the President wanted Filipinos to lead the research and development of local respirators as part of the government’s efforts to fight the disease.
The President is also willing to provide a grant to the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital for such endeavor.