The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has a fund allocation of P419.3 million for the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for virology-related research and development projects for 2023.
According to DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, the fund provided for the proposed Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines (VIP) and its projects is a “commitment” of the government to ensure the health and safety of Filipinos.
“We need to be pro-active and fund for a Virology Institute composed of highly-trained experts who would conduct studies on emerging virus strains as quickly as possible and prepare us in case of health emergencies,” Pangandaman said.
The Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) currently spearheads the VIP’s medical and scientific undertakings.
These include the isolation and purification of local common viruses with medical importance and pandemic potential for antigen-antibody studies, detection of several pathogens, among others.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has stressed the significance of the allotted fund for the VIP as a reflection of the nation’s need for prompt identification and response to outbreaks. –ag
