DAVAO City's daily testing capacity was boosted after the Ayala Group donated testing equipment to Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) on Thursday, June 4, 2020, to meet with the increasing number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in the city.

The group donated an automated RNA Extraction machine, two reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) machine and their accessories to SPMC, to help the hospital intensify its Covid-19 testing capacity by a maximum of 1,000 tests per day.

SPMC is the only Covid-19 referral center allowed to accept Covid-19 patients in the city. It was also accredited by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) as the first Covid-19 testing laboratory in Mindanao.

“The donation is an expression of the Ayala Group’s continuing commitment to helping contain the COVID-19 pandemic, as it participates in Task Force T3 (Test, Trace, and Treat) convened by the Inter-Agency Task Force–National Task Force (IATF-NTF) and the Department of Health (DOH),” Ayala Group said.

Aside from this donation, Ayala Group conducted similar initiatives in other parts of the country to capacitate existing testing facilities and build testing laboratories to help flatten the curve.

“Since the start of the pandemic, the Ayala group has mobilized resources in support of national efforts through the provision of equipment and protective gear for medical and community front-liners, as well as food and other basic necessities for families in different communities nation-wide,” Ayala Group statement read.

On the part of the government, General Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) National Action Plan Against Covid-19, and deputy chief implementer of the IATF National Action Plan Against Covid-19 Vince Dizon welcomed the initiative of the Ayala Group to help the government in its fight against Covid-19 in the country.

Earlier, business conglomerate San Miguel Corporation (SMC) likewise donated testing equipment to SPMC to expand the government’s testing effort and determine the extent of the contagion and lessen the risk of transmission.

SPMC originally had two PCR machines and with the arrival of four RT-PCR machines, two from Ayala Group and two from SMC, it currently has a total of six RT-PCR machines inside its laboratory.

Present during Thursday's turnover was Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, Health Undersecretary Abdullah Dumama Jr., DOH Davao Regional Director Annabelle Yumang, representatives from Ayala Group and SMC, and SPMC officials. (JCR with PR)