Proposed virology institute won't have overlapping functions with RITM —gov't officials

Several government officials from the health and science sectors on Thursday assured lawmakers that there would be no duplicity issues on establishing the Virology Institute of the Philippines (VIP) despite the existence of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).

During a Senate hearing, RITM officer-in-charge Director Celia Carlos said the proposed institute could focus on vaccine development and therapeutic research which are currently not being covered.

"Our research is focused on public health type of research, clinical trials, epidemiologic research... We don't do drug and vaccine development type of research," Carlos told senators.

Philippine Council for Health Research and Development executive director Jaime Montoya agreed that having a virology institute would help build up the country's vaccine self-sufficiency against various diseases.

"'Yung VIP po was never envisioned to duplicate what RITM is currently doing. Essentially it is envisioned to be an institute solely focused on research on viruses whether it be of human, animal, or plant origin," Montoya said.

"The VIP will actually focus, among others, sa diagnostics, sa therapeutics, drug discovery, at saka po 'yung vaccine development," he added.

Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo, chief of the Food and Drugs Administration, also expressed support for the creation of the VIP attached to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

"Yung regulatory part po will still be with the FDA while the research and development will be at the virology institute," he said.

The proposal to create the VIP surfaced as the Philippines continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Proposed funding

Senator Panfilo Lacson, author of Senate Bill No. 1543, said the initial funding needed for the establishment of the VIP is P2 billion.

He pointed out that under the proposed national budget for 2021, only P284 million has been allocated for this.

"How do you propose to utilize the P284 million assuming that we pass this legislation into law within the year?" the senator asked.

"Most of it will be used for the acquisition of equipment and we have to be realistic, since most of these equipment will come from abroad, it will take time before we get hold of these equipment, baka towards the last of the year (2021) na," DOST Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña answered.

The Cabinet official also added that the DOST is allocating its own budget in the meantime so that important research activities may already commence.

"There are already operations or research activities that we can do most likely to be housed at the Industrial Technology Development Institute initially if the building is not yet completed," Dela Peña said.

The DOST and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority have already discussed the contents of the memorandum of agreement for the construction of the VIP building at the New Clark Economic Zone in Tarlac but the two agencies have yet to formally sign it, he added.

The hiring of personnel for the VIP is not covered yet by the proposed P284 million in 2021.

"The plantilla items will come when the law is already passed. In the meantime, it will be the DOST budget that will support the hiring of contractual personnel kaya mahalaga na ma-approve 'yung bill," Dela Peña said.

Lacson said he hopes the bill will be approved in the Senate within the year or at least early next year. Similar bills are also pending at the committee level in the House of Representatives.—AOL, GMA News