PRES. DUTERTE IATF MEETING WITH INFECTIOUS DISEASES EXPERTS HIGHLIGHTS

December 26, 2020

Part I: President Rodrigo Duterte meets with the IATF-EID and the academe regarding the new strain & other concerns on COVID-19.

Part II: President Rodrigo Duterte meets with the IATF-EID and health experts regarding the new strain of COVID-19.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte presided the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) meeting with infectious diseases experts tonight, December 26, 2020, in Heroes Hall, Malacanan Palace.

Joining the President are members of the Cabinet led by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea; Secretary Francisco T. Duque; Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana; Secretary Carlito G. Galvez; Secretary Eduardo M. Ano; Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra; Secretary Arthur P. Tugade; Secretary Karlo Alexei B. Nograles; and Secretary Herminio Harry L. Roque Jr.

Senator Christopher Lawrence T. Go is also present in the meeting.

Invited medical experts include Dr. Marissa M. Alejandria, Member of the Technical Advisory for COVID-19 (TAG); Dr. Marc Edsel C. Ayes, Laboratory Manager of the UP-Philippine Genome Center (PGC); Dr. Celia C. Carlos, Director of the Department of Health (DOH)-Research Institute for Tropical Medicine; Dr. Althea de Guzman, Medical Specialist of the DOH Epidemiology Bureau; Dr. Rolando Enrique D. Domingo, Director General of the DOH-Food and Drug Administration; Dr. Nina Gloriani, Head of the Vaccine Development Expert Panel and Professor of the UP College of Public Health; Dr. Teodoro J. Herbosa, Special Adviser of the NTF-COVID-19; Dr. Jodor A. Lim, Lead Expert in the Clinical Trials for Vaccines and Member of the UP-Philippine General Hospital Division of Infectious Diseases; Dr. Jaime C. Montoya, Executive Director of the DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development; Dr. Anna Lisa T. Ong-Lim, Member of TAG; Dr. Cynthia Palmes-Saloma, Executive Director of the UP-PGC; Dr. Mario M. Panaligan, Immediate Past President of the PSMID anfd Vice President of the Philippine College of Physicians; Dr. Katherine Ann V. Reyes, Associate Dean for Research of the UP College of Public Health; Dr. Camilo C. Roa, Jr., Pulmonary Medicine of the Manila Doctors Hospital; Dr. Edsel Maurice T. Salvana, Member of the TAG; Dr. Ofelia P. Saniel, Professor Emeritus of the UP College of public Health Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Dr. Rontgene M. Solante, Chairman of the Adult Infectious Disease Tropical Medicine of the San Lazaro Hospital; and Dr. Socorro B. Zarate-Escalante, Coordinator of the World Health Organization.

Highlights via PIA Director General Mon Cualoping:

President Duterte to the experts: “Kindly educate us.”

The experts are clear:

1. Mutation of COVID-19 happens.

2. No need for total lockdown but granular approach.

3. Intensify genomic sequencing in the surveillance.

4. UK mutation is different from the Malaysian mutation.

5. Mutation is EXPECTED to happen in the Philippines.

6. Thorough risk assessments.

7. Risk communication is very essential (this is where we in the Philippine Information Agency come in).

8. WHO will continue to advise the President.

9. This is not the first mutation. In June, a variant from Europe entered the country already. We know how to deal with these variants.

10. RITM has advance information to prevent spikes.

11. We do not know yet if the vaccines will work with these new variants. But we can fix the vaccines to strengthen its efficacy.

Per the President, decisions will be made and announced on Monday, December 28. Please do not believe fake news. Especially those who want to politicize again the issue. Expect another round of comments from Vice President Robredo and mainstream media darling Dr. Leachon.

President Duterte emphasizes:

1. Mayors must exert efforts to protect their constituencies.

2. They can push hard their barangay captains.

3. Trabaho talaga ito ng Gobyerno.

4. It behooves upon everybody in the Government to contribute.

5. Surveillance is key.

6. The hero of Marawi, General Galvez, is in charge of vaccines.

7. The vaccine WILL BE AVAILABLE TO EVERY FILIPINO CITIZEN.

8. No face-to-face classes still.

Secretary Charlie Galvez, the vaccine czar gives these updates:

1. Vaccines will be ready by May.

2. Aztra Zenica, Novovax, Pfizer, Moderna, J&J, Gamaleya: total of 80 millions doses. Contract will be signed in January.

3. Sinovac - we are still negotiating with their Hong Kong office.

4. No truth that we are focusing on Sinovac only.

5. Portfolio of vaccines is being considered.

6. Everything will go through our vaccine expert panel and the Food and Drug Administration Philippines.

Summary:

The President instructed the cancellation of face-to-face classes, which the Department of Education (DepEd) earlier approved for pilot study in January 2021.

On her part, DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones will implement the President’s instruction to recall limited face-to-face classes.

On Pfizer, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director-General Rolando Domingo confirmed that it filed for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) last 23 December 2020. It will take FDA 21 days to evaluate and approve the EUA but vaccination would start as soon as stocks become available.