Senator Francis 鈥淭OL鈥� Tolentino is hopeful that the proposed Virology Institute of the Philippines (VIP) would improve the government鈥檚 ability to counter the spread of animal diseases. Tolentino cited how the overlapping mandates of different agencies hobbled the country鈥檚 efforts to address the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak last year.
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Senate Majority Leader Francis 鈥淭ol鈥� Tolentino is hoping that the proposed Virology Institute of the Philippines (VIP) would improve the government鈥檚 ability to counter the spread of animal diseases 鈥� citing the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF), which inflicted heavy losses on the domestic swine industry last year.
In his brief interjection in plenary on Senate Bill No. 2893, which seeks to establish the VIP, Tolentino cited what he called 鈥渢he overlapping mandates鈥� of various agencies in response to the ASF emergency.
READ: Virology center vital in combating ASF, other diseases 鈥� Tolentino
He also noted how this hobbled the government鈥檚 efforts to test candidate vaccines on a mass scale, and deploy the proper vaccines against the highly virulent virus.
To recall, it was Tolentino who filed Senate Resolution No. 565, which prompted the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform to investigate ASF鈥檚 devastating impact on domestic pork production, supply, and prices.
鈥淭he reason why we had a long battle with ASF is because of the apparent non-movement of the personnel within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in conducting clinical trials for ASF vaccines. And when they were finally able to reach the conclusion that clinical trials were to be conducted, they [had to conduct] the same en masse,鈥� said Tolentino.
鈥淪o would this setup of a new virology agency prevent the crisscrossing of these mandates?鈥� he asked.
In response, the sponsor, Senator Pia Cayetano, explained that among the VIP鈥檚 tasks under SB 2893 is to 鈥渆nsure seamless collaboration with RITM and other pertinent research bodies to delineate specific roles and responsibilities, ensuring that the research agenda is complementary rather than duplicative.鈥�
Cayetano noted that disagreements involving the different agencies would inevitably arise, notwithstanding the attempt to have seamless collaboration among them, with VIP as the lead convenor.
In conclusion, Tolentino expressed hope that the VIP, as envisioned in the bill, would be able to facilitate coordination not just among government bodies, but also with private laboratories. These include laboratories within universities and private institutions, including pharmaceutical companies.