By Fernan Angeles
THE government is willing to pay for whoever has the guts to join and become volunteers in the clinical trials for possible COVID-19 vaccines.
In a television interview, Secretary Fortunato dela Peña hinted on Inter-Agency Task Force’s standard compensation rate for at least 1,000 Filipinos who will participate in the clinical trials in Metro Manila, Calabarzon and Cebu.
The World Health Organization’s Solidarity Trial will particularly pick volunteers from barangays with high number of infections.
“There will be a compensation para sa araw na hindi sila makakapagtrabaho [dahil bibigyan sila ng bakuna]. Two doses kasi iyon,” dela Peña said.
“May kasama rin meal allowance… kung babiyahe pa sila, may transportation allowance. The IATF approved that there should be a harmonized amount,” he added.
He however declined to say exactly how much a volunteer would get for the gallant effort.
“There is no amount yet, because this will be discussed and approved by the IATF and our Ethics Research Board,” he said.
The Philippines has recorded 248,947 COVID-19 cases so far. Of this number 186,058 recovered, while 4.096 died.
The number of active COVID-19 cases is a 58,823.