The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) would not be dissolved upon the creation of the proposed Center for Disease Control (CDC), Senator Pia Cayetano said on Monday, February 13.
Cayetano disclosed this during her sponsorship speech on Senate Bill No. 1869 which contains Committee Report 28 during Monday's plenary session.
"The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, otherwise known as the RITM, as a whole, will be a whole body under the CDC,” Cayetano said, allaying concerns its functions would be “chopped” upon creation of the CDC.
The senator recalled the original proposal set by the Department of Health (DOH) was to dissolve the RITM and transfer some of its functions to the proposed CDC.
She also said that under the proposed Philippine Center for Disease Prevention and Control Act, will be referred to as the “Philippine Research Institute of Medicine.”
She said it will continue to perform its current functions through its Clinical Research Division, Laboratory Research Division, and Biologics Manufacturing Division.
The agency will also perform expanded functions involving infectious and non-infectious diseases, specifically on health evidence and health laboratories.
Under the CDC bill, the CDC will act as the technical authority on forecasting, analysis, strategy and standard development for the prevention and control of all diseases of public health importance and health security events, whether domestic or international in origin.