Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Thursday pressed the creation of a center for disease control and a virology institute in the country which are both key to strengthening the government’s preparedness in responding to public health emergencies.

Go, who heads the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, said there is a need for a more coordinated institutional strategy to prevent, reduce and manage the risks associated with pandemics.

To mitigate the risks posed by future pandemics, Go said it is imperative for Congress to pass the two bills he filed that seeks to build the country’s defense against infectious disease threats.

"As the COVID-19 virus continues to threaten our health and safety, we should use this time to review the lessons we learned, reevaluate our capabilities, improve our efforts and consider new legislative solutions that will strengthen our response to future public health emergencies,” Go said in a statement.

“It is imperative that we remain vigilant and focused on preventing a bigger outbreak in addition to addressing the urgent needs facing our people,” he emphasized.

In particular, Go said lawmakers should expedite the passage of Senate Bill No. 2158 which seeks to establish the Philippine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

He said the proposed CDC will serve as the lead agency for developing communicable disease control and prevention initiatives would be primarily responsible for controlling the spread of infectious diseases in the Philippines.

“In other countries, Centers for Disease Control have been instrumental in this pandemic. As experts in the field of infectious diseases, they are at the forefront of the health battle against COVID-19. It is high time for us to have our own CDC,” Go stressed.

“President Duterte acknowledges this and has previously urged Congress to pass this important measure,” the senator explained.

Go also filed Senate Bill No. 2155 which, in turn, creates the Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines (VIP).

The Institute shall be the principal laboratory for virology research and laboratory investigations as well as the lead technical coordinator of the nationwide network of virology laboratories.

“If passed into law, the VIP will accelerate the development of and expand access to new vaccines against diseases such as COVID-19 and ensure the country has sufficient emergency stockpile of vaccine doses,” he said.

Both measures are currently pending under the subcommittee headed by Sen. Pia Cayetano and the Senate Committee on Science and Technology chaired by Sen. Nancy Binay.

On Wednesday, January 5, the Philippines reported a total of 10,775 new cases, with a record high positivity rate of 31.7 percent.

The spoke comes following the detection of local cases of the Omicron variant. The government has since placed the National Capital Region and neighboring provinces of Bulacan, Cavite and Rizal under Alert Level 3 from January 3 to 15.

“This is a learning experience for all of us. But as we move forward, we need better foresight to successfully re-assess what institutional practices we need to change, institutions we need to further strengthen, and make long-lasting plans not only for our recovery but also for our sustainable future,” Go said.