MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to hire more personnel to enable their offices to operate 24 hours during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis. In televised public address aired Monday night, Duterte said the FDA and the DOST must “double” their workforce in light of the health crisis. So you must hire a lot of med tech or medical graduates who are just waiting for the results [of their licensure exam],” Duterte said, speaking partly in Filipino. A P2.7-billion budget was set aside by the government for the emergency hiring of health care professionals under a contract of service for three months. For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH Hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer April 27, 2020 16:07 UTC