Balita.org: Your Premier Source for Comprehensive Philippines News and Insights! We bring you the latest news, stories, and updates on a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, economy, and more. Stay tuned to know everything you wish about your favorite stars 24/7.

Contacts

  • balita.org

Press Release - Senators Alan and Pia Cayetano lead push for Virology Institute in Senate

Senators Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano's effort to establish an agency for virology research and vaccine development took center stage as the interpellation for the proposed Virology Institute of the Philippines (VIP) Act began.

On Tuesday, Senator Pia, sponsor of the measure, led the discussion for Senate Bill No. 2893 (VIP Act) under Committee Report No. 423.

Senators Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, Francis Tolentino, and Risa Hontiveros also participated in the session.

Senator Pia reassured her colleagues that the VIP would complement rather than overlap with existing institutions like the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).

"The VIP will serve as the lead convenor for research and development in the field of virology. VIP covers the discovery phase up to the pre-clinical stages. The role of RITM begins in the clinical trials," she said.

She emphasized that the VIP's mandate would include studying viruses that affect humans, animals, and plants, in line with the concept of the One Health System.

"Embedded in this bill is the concept of the One Health System -- a collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary framework that recognizes the interconnectedness of people, animals, plants, and their shared environment," she said.

Senator Pia also outlined the proposed structure of the VIP's governing board, which will be chaired by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary. The Secretaries of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) will serve as co-chairs.

"When we refer to VIP, it really has all of these representatives from the different government agencies as part of its governing body. At least now we [will] have this agency that is tasked to be the lead convener and it's tasked to ensure this seamless collaboration," she said.

Senator Alan, who chairs the Senate Committee on Science and Technology, had earlier initiated a probe to strengthen the country's virology research and development capabilities.

"The entire government must act quickly to address the public health and economic crisis that threatens the lives and livelihood of our kababayan. In the event of emergencies, this will also be a handy

Read more on legacy.senate.gov.ph
DMCA