President Rodrigo Duterte said the government is ready to provide necessary funding to determine if the anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin can be used against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

In his televised "Talk to the People" on Monday night, Duterte said he received information from some people "proclaiming that it (Ivermectin) is good to fight COVID-19.

"So, the earlier the studies are completed, whether or not it has the efficacy to fight COVID-19, is important because it is cheap and available. And it can lessen COVID by 50 percent," he said.

Duterte said he was not in a position to say that Ivermecti should or should not be used.

"For me, if there's an application and you have clinical studies, and if there is a need for funding, we can fund. We can give you give you the - replenish the money later...once and for all, we can resolve the issue of this Ivermectin," he said.

Domingo told Duterte there are funds to conduct the study to be spearheaded by the Department of Health and Department of Science and Technology starting this month.

He also said that his office has approved one company to sell Ivermectin for human use and other companies have been applying and now undergoing evaluation. Celerina Monte/DMS