Philippines Eyes Spearheading International Trials on VCO vs. Covid-19

The Philippines is eyeing to spearhead the international ‘solidarity trials’ for virgin coconut oil (VCO) as a potential cure for COVID-19, a scientist involved in the VCO study said today.  The planned undertaking is an effort to boost or expand the success of the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) clinical trials showing that VCO is an effective functional food that can treat mild cases of COVID-19.

Professor Fabian Dayrit of the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) and member of the DOST-FNRI study team that conducted the clinical trials on VCO in Santa Rosa, Laguna said that the Philippines can tap the International Coconut Community (ICC) for the global study.  He said the team will schedule an online meeting with ICC to discuss the conduct of the solidarity trial like those being organized by the World Health Organization on candidate COVID-19 vaccines.

ICC is an intergovernmental organization of coconut producing countries organized in 1969 under the aegis of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.  Currently it has 20 coconut producing member countries accounting for over 90 percent of world coconut production and exports of coconut products. Members include eight Asian countries: India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor Leste; nine Pacific countries: Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu; one Caribbean country: Jamaica; one African country: Kenya; and one country in South America: Guyana.