DBM ordered to fund proposed virology institute

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has instructed the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to include funds for the creation of a pandemic-response Virology Institute of the Philippines in the proposed 2022 national budget.

“I am elated to hear that President Duterte gave explicit instructions to Secretary (Wendel) Avisado (of the DBM) that the Virology Institute be prioritized,” Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, chairman of the House ways and means committee, said yesterday.

Salceda is the principal author of House Bill 6793 which will make sure the country has the capability to develop its own vaccines to address pandemics.

“This has been a pet bill of mine, and we worked very closely with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to craft a well-formulated charter for the institute,” he said.

“The measure will help not only create a vaccine for COVID-19, but also for the other virus-related threats we face, such as the African swine fever,” he added.

The former secretary-general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said that with climate change and the destruction of natural habitats, zoonotic viruses or those that transfer from animals to human hosts become an inevitable occurrence.

The House committee on appropriations headed by Rep. Eric Go Yap (ACT-CIS) already approved last May 21 the substitute bill in which Salceda is listed as the first and principal author.

“It should be clear to all of us: preparation yields the best outcomes. The same goes for pandemics. It’s difficult to do because the rewards are not immediate. But the consequences to the unprepared can be catastrophic,” Salceda said.

Under the measure, the VIP will become the premier research and development institute in the field of virology, encompassing all areas in viruses and viral diseases in humans, plants and animals.

“It shall act as a venue for scientists, both here and abroad, to work collaboratively to study viruses of agricultural, industrial, clinical and environmental importance,” Salceda said.

“We need this institute critically. Agriculture needs it, especially since our plant exports are susceptible to viral infections. Our public health system needs it, above all. This is a matter of literally vital importance, and I thank President Duterte for sharing our vision on this matter,” Salceda said.

He explained that the VIP will become the research and development unit while Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) will be the medical laboratory.

“VIP will be dedicated exclusively to the broadest and deepest possible exploration of everything we need to know about viruses that can affect the country, and more importantly, how we can prepare for them, as well as what opportunities lie in the research,” he said.

The Department of Science and Technology endorsed the passage of the bill.

The VIP’s campus in New Clark City is part of the priority programs under the Build, Build, Build program of the Duterte administration.