SEN. Bong Go said the establishment of a national virology institute would be crucial to the country’s preparedness against future pandemics.
Go is the principal author and co-sponsor of Senate Bill 2893, which aims to establish the Virology Institute of the Philippines.
“The recent Covid-19 pandemic exposed the world’s unpreparedness in handling viral diseases, which led to numerous losses of jobs, economic growth opportunities, and most importantly, lives. In the Philippines, its impact’s footprints are still visible, but similar events in the future are preventable,” the senator said.
Sen. Bong Go. Photo by J. Gerard Seguia
The proposed research center aims to address critical gaps in the country’s health response mechanisms, particularly in the surveillance, diagnosis, and monitoring of viral diseases affecting humans, plants and animals.
“Outbreaks like Covid-19 could have been prevented or handled more efficiently with the presence of a national virology laboratory that will conduct surveillance, diagnosis, and monitoring of viral diseases in humans, plants and animals. Issues like the recent pandemic and other non-human related viruses should be handled with urgency, enough funding and with the best instruments,” Go added.
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