Press Release
May 11, 2021

Gatchalian urges government to support locally manufactured COVID-19 vaccines

While world leaders continue to debate whether there should be a suspension of intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines, Senator Win Gatchalian urged the government to be one step ahead - explore the possibility of the country having the capacity to produce its own vaccine. He said concerned government agencies such as the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) should look into ways in which potential local manufacturers and foreign investors could be incentivized for investing into local manufacturing.

The Vice Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs said the government should help provide the necessary regulatory support to COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers by providing assistance in meeting the requirements such as authorization or product registration with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"Access to these vaccines has been most challenging to countries like ours. But in the event that patent rights will be waived by member-countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO), we must seize the opportunity and start laying the groundwork as early as now so we can produce our own COVID-19 vaccines," Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian also cited the need to pursue vaccine development facilities that will support research projects, facilitate training of scientists and physicians, and could work in partnership with pharmaceutical companies for the possibility of locally-manufactured vaccines. He likewise underscored the needed infrastructure for storage and logistics capability for purposes of distribution as vaccines will be rendered useless if not stored properly.

Representatives of South Africa and India have asked the WTO in October last year to allow its member-countries to waive IP rights, including patents, related to COVID-19 vaccines and other technologies for the duration of the pandemic. The proposal which has gained support in the developing world is facing resistance from countries with major pharmaceutical industries.

"While we continue to be import-dependent for now for our COVID-19 vaccine supply to meet the goal of herd immunity, we should not be deterred from being self-sufficient when it comes to vaccine production," Gatchalian said.

Recent news reports showed that there are at least six local companies that are already in talks with government agencies for the establishment of vaccine manufacturing facilities.

"Win-win solution kapag makagawa tayo ng bakuna kontra COVID-19. Kapakanan ng lahat ang nakasalalay dito. Bukod sa kasiguruhan sa bakuna, makakapagbigay pa ito ng mga bagong trabaho," he said.

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Gobyerno dapat itulak ang gawang lokal na bakuna laban sa COVID-19Gatchalian

Habang mainit na pinagdedebatihan ng mga lider mula sa iba't-ibang bansa ang pagsuspindi ng intellectual property rights sa paggawa ng COVID-19 vaccines, hinikayat ni Senador Win Gatchalian ang gobyerno na maging maagap at pag-aralan ang posibilidad na magkaroon ang bansa ng sariling bakuna laban sa COVID-19.

Hinimok ni Gatchalian ang mga pangunahing ahensya tulad ng Department of Science and Technology (DOST) at Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) kung paano mabibigyan ng insentibo ang mga lokal at dayuhang mamumuhunan na magtayo ng planta dito sa bansa at gumawa ng sarili nating bakuna.

Ayon sa Vice Chairperson ng Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, dapat seguruhin ng gobyerno na mabilis at maisasaayos ang mga kailangang dokumento tulad ng authorization o product registration sa Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"Ang pagkakaroon ng access sa mga bakuna ang pinakamalaking hamon sa mga bansang katulad natin. Sakaling ma-waive ang patent rights ng mga bansang kabilang sa World Trade Organization (WTO), mabibigyan tayo ng pagkakataon para masimulan ang paggawa ng sarili nating anti-COVID-19 vaccines," sabi ni Gatchalian.

Upang magtuloy-tuloy ang ganitong plano, iginiit ni Gatchalian ang pagkakaroon ng mga pasilidad para sa mga research projects at pag-aaral kung paano maaaring maging kaagapay ang mga pharmaceutical companies sa paggawa ng bakuna dito sa bansa. Sinabi rin ni Gatchalian na dapat ding paghandaan ang mga imprastraktura para sa storage at logistics capability na kailangan para sa tamang pamamahagi ng mga bakuna.

Ipinanawagan ng mga kinatawan ng South Africa at India sa WTO noong Oktubre ng nakaraang taon ang pag-waive ng IP rights sa paggawa ng COVID-19 vaccines ng mga miyembrong bansa nito habang nagpapatuloy ang pandemya. Ang kanilang panukala ay umani ng suporta sa mga developing countries ngunit inalmahan ng mga bansang may mga malalaking pharmaceutical companies.

"Sa ngayon ay nakadepende tayo sa ibang bansa pagdating sa suplay ng bakuna laban sa COVID-19 para maatim ang herd immunity. Naniniwala ako na dapat ay pagsikapan natin ang posibilidad na makapagtayo tayo ng sarili nating produksiyon," sabi ni Gatchalian.

Sa kasalukuyan, mayroong anim na lokal na kumpanyang nagpahayag ng interes sa paggawa ng bakuna at nakikipag-ugnayan na sila sa mga ahensya ng gobyerno.

"Win-win solution kapag makagawa tayo ng bakuna kontra COVID-19. Kapakanan ng lahat ang nakasalalay dito. Bukod sa kasiguruhan sa bakuna, makakapagbigay pa ito ng mga bagong trabaho," ani Gatchalian.

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