P10-M reward awaits Filipinos who can develop Covid-19 vaccine

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte addresses the nation on the government’s efforts against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang on April 16, 2020. KARL NORMAN ALONZO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte will be giving up to PHP10-million reward to Filipino scientists and experts who can develop a vaccine against coronavirus disease (Covid-19), Malacañang said on Tuesday.

In a virtual presser, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte made this pronouncement after meeting with health experts, including former secretaries of the Department of Health (DOH) on Monday.

“Inanunsyo po ng Pangulo na siyang magbibigay ng pabuya ng hanggang PHP10 million sa kahit sinong Pilipino na makaka-diskubre ng vaccine laban sa Covid-19 (The President announced that he will be giving a PHP 10 million reward to any Filipino who can discover a vaccine against Covid-19),” he said.

Roque said Duterte will also be giving the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) a “substantial grant” to develop a vaccine.

“Pinapa-anunsyo din po ng ating Presidente na siya po’y magbibigay ng isang substantial grant sa UP at sa UP-PGH para po maka-develop nga ng bakuna laban dito sa Covid-19 (The President is also asking me to announce that he will give a substantial grant to UP and UP-PGH to develop a vaccine to fight Covid-19),” he said.

He did not mention the amount of the substantial grant to be given to the state-run UP-PGH.

In a televised meeting with select members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Inter-Agency Task Force last April 9, Duterte praised UP-PGH for considering the use of antibodies found in the blood of Covid-19 survivors to treat patients who were severely ill.

“Ang pag-asa natin is — including UP, itong atin ipagmalaki rin natin ang mga doktor natin. Iyang mga bright. ‘Yung na — gumaling na, nagkaroon na ‘yan sila ng antibodies (Our hope is…including UP, we take pride in our doctors. They’re bright. They found out that those who have recovered from Covid-19 have antibodies),” he said.

A team of scientists from the UP-National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH), the Philippine Genome Center, and The Manila HealthTek Inc. also developed Covid-19 test kits which can release results in just two hours.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a certificate of product registration to the locally-made test kits last April 3.

During his address at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (Asean) Plus Three Summit on Covid-19 with Japan, China and South Korea last April 15, Duterte said the Philippines is willing to join the other countries in conducting clinical trials of Avigan, a Japanese anti-viral drug, for potential treatment of Covid-19.

Researches at Wuhan University and other institutions in China have revealed that Avigan, developed by a subsidiary of Japan-based Fujifilm Holdings Corp., is seen as an effective drug in treating Covid-19.

Japan has begun conducting clinical tests to examine the effectiveness and safety of Avigan, otherwise known as Favipiravir, to Covid-19 patients.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga earlier announced the Japanese government’s plan to offer Avigan for free to nations hit by Covid-19 pandemic.

Earlier, World Health Organization’s (WHO) health emergency program executive director Dr. Mike Ryan said it could take at least a year to develop a vaccine as protection against Covid-19.

Though a vaccine has yet to be developed, he said countries could start implementing strong measures such as widespread testing.