Dr. Fauci bats for more gov't support for RITM, other Philippine science institutions

Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), on Tuesday expressed hope that Filipino science institutions will have continued support from the Philippine government.

Speaking at the 43rd Annual Scientific Meeting, Fauci highlighted the contributions of Filipino scientists and institutions to infectious diseases research in dengue, malaria, among others.

According to Fauci, the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine received NIAID funding as a center of excellence in research in tropical medicine.

“Hopefully, this institution and others will continue to receive Philippine government support so that they will remain competitive for both funding and talent,” he said.

“Given its track record, I also can foresee great value in the Philippines expanding its scientific leadership role in the Asia Pacific region.”

Fauci said he was looking forward to partnering with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in a joint research program to support collaborative research of US and Filipino scientists as long as there is adequate support from all concerned agencies.

“I want to emphasize the importance of sustained local support for scientists and scientific institutions  in  the Philippines and elsewhere,” he said.

Fauci, chief medical adviser of US President Joe Biden, pointed out that local support for scientists and scientific institutions is a necessary foundation to attract funding from outside the country.

“It is an essential element to economic vitality and growth,” he said.

“In addition, as we have seen with COVID-19, science, particularly biomedical research,  is fundamentally important  to pandemic preparedness and effective outbreak response that save lives and stabilize societies,” Fauci added.

The Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) meanwhile on Wednesday expressed gratitude to Fauci for his support.

"We thank top US epidemiologist Dr. Anthony Fauci for expressing his support in putting investments in research and development (R&D). Truly, the pandemic highlighted the need for a robust R&D system that can withstand sudden disruptions and be resilient in challenging times," it said in a statement.

The DOST-PCIEERD then appealed to lawmakers to support the agency as 127 projects worth P1.8 billion have been lined up for 2022.

"We hope our lawmakers heed his call as we prepare the budget for 2022. For DOST-PCIEERD alone, we are hoping to support 127 projects next year with a total funding requirement of P1.8 billion. These projects will be implemented in various regions in the country by 57 research and development institutes and higher education institutions," it said.

"We also rally the Filipino people to continue supporting our researchers who continuously make innovation work for the people. Let us support the technologies that we are churning out and we call on the industry to take a look at these valuable R&D products to license, adopt, or commercialize and see how it can improve their systems and processes," the DOST-PCIEERD added. —KBK/KG, GMA News