The coconut-producing province of Quezon may get instantly rich if the virgin coconut oil is proven effective in helping fight the coronavirus infection, a Palace official said Thursday.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque cited that the initial clinical studies on virgin coconut oil have been promising, citing the potential benefit to the coconut industry in Quezon.
"Ongoing ang clinical studies ng DOST (Department of Science and Technology) at ang preliminary data shows very encouraging results lalong-lalong na para may preventive, at parang nakakatulong sa early symptoms ng COVID pero ongoing pa po ang clinical study (The clinical studies of the DOST are ongoing. The preliminary data shows very encouraging results especially to possible prevent early symptoms of COVID but the clinical study is still ongoing)," Roque said during a televised press briefing in Quezon.
"At kapag natapos ang clinical study, naku dahil number one ang coconut dito sa Quezon, biglang yaman talaga ang Quezon dahil ang buong mundo ay bibili ng virgin coconut oil ng mga taga-Quezon (Once the clinical study is complete, since Quezon is the number one coconut procurer, Quezon will become instantly rich because the entire world will buy virgin coconut oil from Quezon)," he said.
Last month, local scientists announced that initial experiments showed compounds from virgin coconut oil have decreased coronavirus count by 60 to 90% at low viral load.
The clinical results are promising after they showed the VCO could destroy the virus as well as upregulate the immune response against the coronavirus, according to Dr. Jaime Montoya, executive director of Philippine Council for Health Research and Development.
More tests however are reportedly still needed on the use of VCO as an adjunct for the treatment of coronavirus disease.