DOST appeals for funding to finish construction of virus research center
President Marcos assured the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on Wednesday of funding to complete construction of the Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines (VIP) in Capas, Tarlac.
“We will find money for this when we are able to identify specific items that are not ready for implementation, those with incomplete documents,” Mr. Marcos told Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum.
“I think in the immediate future, okay. We prepare for the big one, the big pandemic,” he said.
“But really it’s for the animals and the plants,” the President added. The VIP was established to conduct research on viruses and viral diseases.
The DOST secretary met with the President in Malacañang to discuss his request for funding to prevent delays in the construction of the VIP building and protect the structure from deteriorating.
Emergency-ready
The VIP, which is being built on a 5-hectare lot in Capas town, will be the country’s main agency for research and innovation on human, animal and plant viruses.
Although its creation was among the President’s priority measures in his 2022 State of the Nation Address, Mr. Marcos has yet to enact a law formally establishing the VIP.
The House of Representatives already passed a bill proposing the VIP’s creation, while the Senate is still tackling its version of the measure at the plenary level.
The proposed VIP is an offshoot of the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted the need for the country’s health-care system to be adequately prepared for health emergencies of such magnitude.
Funding for the VIP’s construction is not included in the DOST’s P7.75-billion budget for 2025.
During the meeting, Solidum pointed out that the 2025 National Expenditure Program did not appropriate funding for the project in the P1.007-trillion budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways.
He said the VIP would require P680 million to implement its plans, such as the development of vaccines for humans, animals and plants.
“There are more balikbayan scientists who are willing to help us. We just need this facility,” Solidum told the President.
