SENATOR Christopher ‘Bong’ Go has filed a measure seeking to establish the Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines as he called for a more proactive approach in dealing with future pandemics.

“In the long term, investing heavily on health research initiatives should be pursued. It is for this reason that I filed this bill in support of President Rodrigo Duterte’s call to establish a virology institute that will capacitate the country to conduct scientific research initiatives and eventually develop our own vaccines,” Go said.

Senate Bill 2155 or the proposed Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines Act of 2021 seeks to establish the VIP which will lead laboratory investigations, researches and technical coordination of the entire network of virology laboratories nationwide.

Go, in his explanatory note, said that previous viral outbreaks could have been prevented or handled better had there been a national virology laboratory that conducted studies of viral diseases in humans, plants and animals.

“Understanding the genetic changes in viral genome is a prerequisite for a strong public health response to emerging, re-emerging and existing viral diseases,” he pointed out.

“Hindi natin masabi kung may pandemya pa na darating sa buhay natin. So, mabuti na po na maging proactive tayo. Someday, magkaroon sana tayo ng sariling kapasidad na gumawa ng bakuna sa bansa. Ngayon pa lang, paghandaan na natin ang posibilidad na ito,” Go said.

The proposed institute will be an attached agency under the Department of Science and Technology.

The DOST, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health, shall promulgate policies for and exercise supervision and control over the Institute.

The institute will absorb all functions of the DOH involving biomedical research in virology and of the DA involving animal and plant virology.

It will have technical and administrative support staff as well as consultants as may be necessary.