PRRD to Give P10M Reward to Filipino Who Will Discover COVID-19 Vaccine

10 Million Pesos Reward for COVID-19 Vaccine

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that President Rodrigo Duterte is offering a reward of Ten Million Pesos (Php 10,000,000.00) to any Filipino who will discover a vaccine against the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

“Inanunsyo po ng Pangulo na siya ay magbibigay ng pabuya na hanggang 10 milyong piso sa kahit sinong Pilipino na makakadiskubre ng vaccine laban sa COVID-19.”
– Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque

Substantial Grant to UP and PGH

Also according to Roque, the president will also give the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and the University of the Philippines (UP) a “substantial grant” for them to be able to develop a vaccine for the disease.

In line with this, PGH urges COVID-19 patients who have fully recovered from the disease to help them find the cure by making blood donations that they can study. According to PGH Spokesperson Dr. Jonas Del Rosario, they want to transfuse convalescent plasma of COVID-19 survivors to those who are severely ill.

The president also asks those who have recovered from the coronavirus disease to donate their blood which can also be studied in hopes of finding a cure to the deadly respiratory disease.

Update About COVID-19 in the Philippines

Just last week, President Duterte told a virtual meeting with Asian leaders that all countries should be given “fair and easy” access to vaccines and treatments for COVID-19 once they are available. 

Nationwide, based from the COVID-19 Tracker of the Department of Health, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has already hit 6,459 as of April 20, 2020, 4:00 PM with 3,199 still admitted.

With other countries such as United States, China, Japan and Australia working on finding a potential vaccine against the COVID-19 and our country also starting to make a move to find the cure, there’s definitely hope that soon, the Philippines and the rest of the world will emerge victorious in this battle against Coronavirus.