Bongbong Marcos makes another push for PH virology center, Center for Disease Control

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Thursday called anew for establishment of the country’s own virology institute and Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

During the 15th Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) Week celebration in Pampanga, Marcos Jr. said the two institutes can help in the country’s preparation and response to pandemics.

“I have presented to Congress, both Houses of Congress, the proposed creation of the Virology Center of the Philippines… so that we can consolidate in a better way all of the disparate research, all the different sources of knowledge, all the different sources of research and new data,” Marcos Jr. said in his speech.

“And secondly, of course, is the creation of our own disease control center here in the Philippines so that we are ready for the unfortunate warnings that we are always getting that this is not going to be the last pandemic, at least not in our lifetimes,” the President added.

In his first State of the Nation Address (SONA), Marcos vowed to create the Philippines’ own Center for Disease Control and Prevention and a vaccine institute.

The President, in his SONA, said the government would implement means to disseminate accurate information regarding COVID-19 as well as the importance of vaccines.

“So these are the efforts. We have been in consultation with the House of Representatives and the Senate to bring this — to create these agencies so that we can bring them to bear in what we are up to now continuing to have to fight,” Marcos said.

“We will continue to work so that our people are safer so that our citizens have better access to healthcare, and so that our — the quality of our healthcare will improve,” he added.

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