Manila Bulletin
P50-M reward offered for scientists who can develop COVID-19 vaccine
President Rodrigo Duterte has increased the reward for any Filipino who develops a COVID-19 vaccine to P50 million, potentially reaching P100 million.
He stated that the incentive was raised from P10 million because vaccine development is a group effort.
Duterte also pledged to allocate more funding for health sector research and development if needed, expressing confidence in the capabilities of Filipino scientists.
ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro had previously questioned the P10 million offer, suggesting funds be directly allocated to research and development instead.
Castro argued that the administration has not provided sufficient budget for scientists, researchers, and health facilities to respond to the COVID-19 crisis.
The Philippines remains open to participating in clinical trials for potential vaccines and medicines.
🤖
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.
President Rodrigo Duterte has pledged to grant additional funding for the production of vaccines in the country.
Read more →
President Duterte is offering a P20 million reward to any Filipino who can develop durable respirators for COVID-19 patients.
Read more →
Vice President Leni Robredo urged the government to provide massive support and increase the budget for local scientists and science and technology innovation, especially in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
Read more →
President Duterte expressed hope that a treatment using "killer antibodies" for COVID-19 might be available within days, which would prompt him to immediately lift the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.
Read more →
The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged the Philippines to prepare its regulatory processes to expedite the assessment and approval of a COVID-19 vaccine once it becomes available.
Read more →