Guidelines for the Free Swab Testing at the MOA Arena in Pasay | GMANetwork.com - Foundation - Articles

As part of the government's efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the country, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases offers free swab testing to the public at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena in Pasay City.

Guidelines for the Free Swab Testing at the MOA Arena in Pasay

October 12 2020

As part of the government's efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the country, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases offers free swab testing to the public at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena in Pasay City.

This swabbing facility is managed by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Medical Reserve Force and was established by the Philippine government in partnership with the SM Group, Ayala Group and the Razon Group with the aid of the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA). It has 72 testing booths manned by the PNP Medical Reserve Force and a pool of health personnel hired by the Department of Health (DOH).

To avail of the free swabbing test service, please read and follow the guidelines below:

1) Pre-register at the Health Office the local government units (Barangay or Municipal) of the following areas:

Pasay
Makati
Las Pinas
Paranaque
Muntinlupa
 

2) LGU to submit names of the swab test clients to the PNP for scheduling of the swab test. Client to provide email address, cel phone and complete home address to qualify for the free swab test.

3) LGU and PNP to coordinate. LGU to contact swab test clients and inform them of the swab test schedule on Mondays to Fridays, 9 am - 5 pm at the MOA Arena in Pasay.

4) LGU to give bar code to swab test client which the client will bring on the confirmed scheduled swab test at the MOA arena along with a valid I.D.

5) Swab test client to present the bar code MOA Arena's entrance at Marina Way on the scheduled swab test date.

6) Swab test client to pass through the misting tent/decontamination chamber and a temperature scanner will be use to detect body temperature of the client.

7) Client to proceed to staging area. Priority will be given to the following: Senior Citizens PWDs, pregnant mothers and frontliners.

8) Present bar code and valid ID for validation to the reception booth at the staging area.

9) Client to proceed to the swab testing booth for the actual swab test wherein specimen will be extracted from both nostrils of the nose and the throat using cotton swabs which only take a few minutes. The procedure will be explained by the official swabbers.

10) Swab test clients to be given bar code sticker for the results. It is important to keep this sticker.

11) Client to exit the swab testing facility at MOA Arena.

12) PNP to submit specimen to the Philippine Red Cross for processing. Results will be available in 1-3 days upon testing.

13) PRC to email the swab test result to the client. Note that the LGU has access to the information of your swab test result.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, PNP created a medical augmentation dubbed as the National Headquarters Medical Reserve Force (MRF) which is composed of policemen with health related courses and professions.

LT COL Jesus Sibayan Ostrea III was designated as the Deputy Commander of the PNP medical force. He is also the Swabbing Facility Administrator of the MOA Arena. He was a former ER-ICU nurse/Infection Control Team Member abroad before he got commissioned in the PNP via lateral entry as a technical officer of the PNP Health Service.

In November 2013 immediately after the onslaught of typhoon Yolanda, LT COL Ostrea reached out to GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF) and asked for medicines and relief goods for victims in Tacloban. Led by Ms. Mel Tiangco, GMAKF Ambassador and Founder, GMAKF provided 13 truckloads of relief goods and medicines in response to his request which served thousands of disaster stricken Filipinos. LT COL Ostrea initiated and facilitated the request of relief goods and medicines from GMA Kapuso Foundation to the Police Regional Office 8 and ferried the truckload of relief goods from GMAKF warehouse to Tacloban.

“Frontliners risk their lives and health for solidarity and patriotism,” Ostrea said. “We hope that these efforts are recognized and appreciated.”

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