Kayo na bahala! Palace turns to private sector to boost COVID testing capacity

By Prince Golez

Citing the government’s limited capacity to conduct mass testing, Malacañang is leaving it up to private companies to test their employees.

“As much as possible, ini-increase natin iyong capacity natin ng testing kaya nga we’re aiming na aabot tayo sa 30,000. Pero in terms of mass testing na ginagawa ng Wuhan na all 11 million, wala pa pong ganiyang programa at iniiwan natin sa pribadong sektor,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a virtual presser Monday.

Roque admitted that the Philippines does not have enough laboratories and test kits to contain the coronavirus disease that has killed 831 people across the country.

“In an ideal world, dapat po lahat ng tao ma-testing pero alam ninyo, una, ang hirap na nga nitong PCR testing, trenta pa lang ang laboratories natin, ang gusto nating mangyari hindi bababa sa nobenta iyang mga PCR testing centers natin; pangalawa, nagkakaubusan din po sa rapid test kits. Sa katunayan, alam ko po as a fact na napakahirap na ngayon sa Tsina maglabas ng rapid test kits dahil sila mismo gusto nilang i-test ang lahat ng mga Tsino,” he explained.

“Iyong Amerika, binibili lahat ang rapid test kits available. So, pahirapan po iyan and that is why we are giving recognition to the initiative of the private sector na sila na mismo ang bumili ng rapid test kits para ma-test ang kanilang mga empleyado.”

Last Saturday, Metro Manila was placed under modified enhanced community quarantine, thereby allowing some sectors to partially open.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)