Manila Bulletin
DOST welcomes President Duterte’s intention to establish PH vaccine institute
President Rodrigo Duterte aims to establish a Vaccine Institute before his term ends in 2022 to enable local vaccine production.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque stated that Duterte desires this institute as a legacy to reduce the Philippines' reliance on imported vaccines.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) welcomed the intention, with DOST Secretary Fortunato "Boy" T. de la Peña expressing hopes that the proposed institute will focus on vaccine development, potentially as the Virology Science & Technology Institute of the Philippines (VIP).
De la Peña noted that mass production of vaccines could be undertaken by the private sector, a GOCC, or a joint venture.
The initiative comes amidst a significant surge in COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, with over 115,000 active infections reported.
The country has implemented various lockdowns over the past year to curb COVID-19 transmission, with current restrictions in place for Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
The Philippines' COVID-19 vaccination program, which began on March 1, has so far received 2,525,600 doses from Sinovac and AstraZeneca.
🤖
This story was generated by AI to help you understand the key points. For more detailed coverage, please see the news articles from trusted media outlets below.
News Sources
See how different news organizations are covering this story. Below are the original articles from various Philippine news sources that contributed to this summary.
Senator Christopher "Bong" Go supports President Rodrigo Duterte's initiative to establish a vaccine institute in the Philippines to develop and produce its own vaccines for current and future pandemics.
Read more →
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is in discussions with six companies for the local production of vaccines.
Read more →
The Philippines received one million doses of the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, marking the first government-procured vaccine supply to arrive.
+2
Read more →
President Rodrigo Duterte initially stated he would allow private companies to import COVID-19 vaccines "at will" to expedite vaccination efforts.
+2
Read more →
President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened individuals involved in the trade of fake COVID-19 vaccines, warning them of severe consequences.
Read more →