12 gov’t labs being tapped to release COVID-19 test results of OFWs

October 27, 2020

Twelve government laboratories are helping ease the delays on the release of COVID -19 test results for the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

In a statement issued on Tuesday,One-Stop-Shop said the 12 government laboratories were the Lung Center of the Philippines; Philippine Genome Hospital; PNP Crime Laboratory; San Lazaro Hospital; Sta Ana Hospital; UP National Institute for Health; Dr. Jose N Reyes Memorial Hospital; Jose B Lingad Memorial Hospital;  Las Pinas General Hospital; Ospital ng Imus; Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC); and Central Visayas Molecular Laboratory in Cebu.

"These laboratories voluntarily accept samples that they will process based on their quotas, based on their capability to release swab test results within 48 hours. These 12 laboratories accept the challenge to process more or less 3,000 samples every day," it said.

Release of  COVID-19 test results were delayed after the Philippine Red Cross (PCR) stopped accepting samples more than a week ago because of the P930 million debt of PhilHealth.

"The government assures that the conduct of free swabbing for OFWs at the airport continued, there will no longer be a like the incident happened because all the aspects are now being handled by the government," One-Stop Shop stated.

"Now there were  21,238 OFWs that were assisted by the government laboratory volunteers who have already returned to their houses with the help of the Hatid Probinsya Program of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA)", the statement said.

"Those who returned to Visayas and Mindanao were transported through chartered flights, while those from Luzon were ferried by the dedicated busses from PITX," it added.

 One-Stop Shop is an initiative of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), Office for Transportation Security (OTS), Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) to assist OFWs in identifying possible isolation facilities where they may take their mandatory quarantine until the quarantine certificates are released, to ensure their well-being, and to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Robina Asido/DMS