Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire clarified on Saturday (Sept. 18) that the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) will not be abolished in light of the creation of a national virology institute.
In a Laging Handa public briefing, Vergeire said that RITM will be under the Virology Institute of the Philippines (VIP) once it is established, which will allow improvements in the institute.
“Hindi totoo na i-a-abolish natin ang RITM. Ilalagay lang natin siya sa malaking institusyon na maaaring ma-improve natin at mapalawak natin ang kanilang expertise sa research at pagpapagawa ng bakuna,” Vergeire said.
In the DOH’s proposed 2022 budget, the country’s main testing center for COVID-19 is facing a P170-million budget cut.
The research institute was only allocated P223 million for 2022. Last year, RITM was given a P393-million budget.
Meanwhile, under the proposed budget of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for 2022, the creation of the VIP will receive about P983 million. – CF – bny
