BENGUET’S caretaker is pushing for the establishment of a certified testing center for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) detection in the province.

In a meeting with the Benguet mayors, ACT-CIS Partylist Representative and caretaker Congressman Eric Go Yap disclosed plans for the establishment of a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing center at the Benguet General Hospital (BeGH).

The establishment of the testing center will be shouldered by the legislator, who will donate P1.8 million to put up the facility.

Yap previously donated an automated RNA extractor and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine to process specimens from Covid-19 patients for Benguet.

However, with the lack of facility to house the equipment, a memorandum of agreement was undertaken with Baguio General Hospital to conduct testing using the machines. It will allocate a certain number of tests per day for Benguet until such time BeGH is ready with its own testing site.

"Kapag tayo ang may hawak ng machine, test lang po tayo ng test," Yap said.

Yap added Covid -19 remains an unseen enemy and the only way to fight the virus is through testing.

He said once Benguet residents are catered to, they could also open the center to the different provinces of the Cordillera Administrative Region.

Dr. Meliarazon Dulay, BeGH chief of hospital, said they started submitting requirements for the testing center.