IATF forms panel of experts to monitor coronavirus variants By VIRGIL LOPEZ, GMA News Published January 6, 2021 11:05am Updated January 6, 2021 11:14am The Philippines’ COVID-19 task force has created a panel of experts that will monitor and identify the occurrence of new coronavirus variants in the country. Headed by Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, the technical working group is also mandated to provide policy recommendations to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) on the appropriate response regarding these variants. The other members of the panel are the following: Executive Director Jaime Montoya of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (co-chairperson)