The House of Representatives approved on final reading a bill establishing a virology and vaccine research institute in the country, which would spearhead the Philippines' response to public health crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

All 216 lawmakers present in Monday's plenary session voted in favor of House Bill 6452, or the Act Establishing the Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines.

The measure received no negative votes or abstentions, according to Deputy Speaker Kristine Singson-Meehan, who presided over the plenary session.

The bill, whose principal authors include Speaker Martin Romualdez, was one of the priority legislations laid out by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his first State of the Nation Address last July, and also a part of the Common Legislative Agenda of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council.

House Committee on Health chairperson Ciriaco Gato Jr. of Batanes earlier said that the bill is crucial to the nation's quest for health security, as the proposed institute would strengthen the country's capacity to address health emergencies by conducting in-depth studies on viruses and providing scientific foundations for disease treatment and prevention policies.

"What we learned from the last pandemic is that if a health crisis is in a scale that crosses international borders, we have to act fast and rely on our own resources," said House chief Romualdez. "We need to respond to it effectively. A virology and vaccine institute can help us stop a deadly virus in its tracks."

The House-approved bill will be transmitted to the Senate.