Duterte wants bill creating virology institute enacted into law

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte wants to see the measures establishing a virology and vaccination institute and a disease control center enacted into law before he steps down in June, a Palace official said yesterday.

Presidential Legislative Assistant Undersecretary Orville Ballitoc, however, said a law is needed to create a new department or institute.

He said the creation of both the proposed virology and vaccination institute and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention does not involve a simple reorganization and cannot be done through an executive order.

“Malacañang is really bent on having these passed on third reading, having these enacted within the 18th Congress,” Ballitoc told state-run People’s Television in a recent interview.

“Our office will continue to coordinate with the two chambers of Congress and members of the executive branch for the enactment of the two bills – the VIP (Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines) and the CDC (Center for Disease Control) – that will prepare our country for COVID-19 and other pandemics or diseases in the future,” he added.

Measures creating the VIP and the CDC are among the priority bills of Duterte.

The two bills were included in the legislative wish list enumerated by the President during his final State of the Nation Address last year.

Officials have agreed that establishing the VIP and the CDC would enable the country to address the challenges posed by COVID-19 and other health crises.

They cited the need for the Philippines to have its own vaccine manufacturing facility and craft policies that would make the country more resilient to pandemics.

The bill creating the CDC has been approved by the House of Representatives on final reading while the Senate’s version was sponsored in the plenary last week.

The House has also passed the measure establishing the VIP while the Senate’s version is pending at the committee level.

“We need the cooperation of everyone so it (VIP) can be passed before the President steps down,” Ballitoc said.

Congress adjourned last Feb. 5 and will resume session after the May 2022 elections.

Lawmakers will return to work on May 23 and adjourn on June 4, which means that they have less than two weeks to pass the bills.

The budget department had previously said P983 million was allocated for the creation of the Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines, which is envisioned to become the country’s premier virology facility that will study and address novel, emerging and re-emerging viruses.