San Miguel teams up with LGUs to boost COVID-19 testing

Diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) teamed up with 17 local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila to boost the testing capacity for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

In a statement on Tuesday, SMC said it would put up more testing booths in areas "in most dire need" to complement the national government's testing efforts, currently focused in major commercial areas.

"This is the best way we can help our local governments ramp up or expand their testing capacity -- in particular, for poorer barangays and communities, even as the national government takes care of building our mega swabbing centers, which for now will be focused on our returning OFWs," said SMC President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon Ang.

"Our aim is to help flatten the curve in our less fortunate barangays, especially in areas where there have been outbreaks," he elaborated.

As of Tuesday, May 12, 2020, the Philippines has so far recorded a total of 11,350 confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease. These included 2,106 recoveries and 751 deaths.

"Our less-fortunate countrymen are really vulnerable, because their living conditions make it harder to observe social distancing and other preventive measures. So we want to focus our efforts on helping them," said Ang.

In the same statement, SMC said it planned to put up its own testing laboratory which would cater to the company's 70,000 employees and the extended workforce.

"Testing booths are just one component of the entire infrastructure for an efficient widespread testing," said Ang.

"We need to produce more test kits, and make testing affordable, if not free, to the hardest-hit communities. We also need enough equipment to be able to process all these tests. We have to mobilize all these components to be able to test at scale," he added. — DVM, GMA News