Former Albay congressman Joey Sarte Salceda has welcomed the enactment of Republic Act 12290, establishing the Virology Institute of the Philippines (VIP), a measure he first authored and sponsored in the House of Representatives.
“We finally have our own institute for making vaccines. That was always the dream when I filed this measure—to give our country the ability to develop and produce vaccines right here at home,” Salceda said.
He noted that the VIP already has a campus being readied in Clark Field, Pampanga, where its laboratories and research facilities will rise. “The Clark campus is underway. With the law in place, the Institute can now be fully equipped, staffed, and connected with global partners. This will allow Filipino scientists to start developing vaccines and diagnostics locally,” he said.
Salceda explained that the VIP will study not only human viruses but also those affecting animals and plants. “Viruses do not only cause pandemics among people. They devastate our farms and crops as well. African Swine Fever has caused billions in losses to hog raisers. Rice and bananas are also vulnerable to viral diseases. At the same time, viruses can have beneficial uses in medicine, agriculture, and industry. This Institute gives us the science to deal with both the risks and the opportunities.”
He recalled that even before the law’s passage, he sought international financing to help establish the Institute on solid ground. “We pushed the case for tapping global partners and multilateral institutions, not only for funding support but also for technology transfer. That way, the Institute will be capable of world-class work from the very beginning,” he said.
Salceda also mentioned that he filed the Philippine Centers for Disease Control bill in January 2020 at the onset of COVID-19. “It was a twin measure of the VIP. I hope it also moves forward so we can complete the country’s system of science-based protection,” he said.
“This is a proud day for Philippine science. With the VIP, we can finally build our own vaccines, protect our people and farms from deadly outbreaks, and give our scientists a world-class home right here in the Philippines,” Salceda said.
