SAN MIGUEL Corp. (SMC) is donating high-capacity testing machines and testing kits to aid in the government’s mass facilitation of tests for people possibly infected with the coronavirus disease 2019.
In a statement on Tuesday, the conglomerate said the sets of RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) machines and high-throughput automated RNA extraction systems it procured have recently arrived.
The equipment sets, which can be used to conduct 11,000 COVID-19 tests per day, will be delivered via the Department of Health to beneficiary hospitals, including the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa that will get two sets, as well as San Lazaro Hospital in Manila, Vicente Sotto Medical Center in Cebu and Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao.
SMC will also donate testing kits for additional 20,000 tests.
“We are one with the government in wanting to curb the spread of the virus, and with enough capacity to test a greater number of people, we are optimistic we will be able to gradually and safely restart the economy,” SMC President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon S. Ang said in a statement.
As of late, SMC has donated P1.147 billion worth of protective personal equipment, food, and rubbing alcohol, among other donations, to those in the frontline in the fight against COVID-19 and communities affected by the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
MERALCO SHELTER FOR HEALTH WORKERS
Meanwhile, Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) in a separate statement said it provided temporary shelter for some medical workers in Pasig City who had been staying at their hospital since the ECQ.
The power distribution utility recently opened its multi-purpose hall at the Meralco Fitness Center in Ortigas for 32 staff of The Medical City after the hospital got no space left for them to rest.
It turned the facility into sleeping quarters for the hospital staff. They were also provided with amenity kits, home-cooked meals four times a day, internet connection, as well as free use of exercise equipment and other appliances.
ABOITIZ UNITS ON SHARE OF POWER SALES
Separately, Aboitiz Power Corp. reported that its two units, Hedcor, Inc. and Therma South, Inc., have remitted their shares of electricity sales to the local government of Davao City.
The listed firm said the city government will have a total of P26 million from the Energy Regulation (ER) 1-94 funds, which the Department of Energy earlier instructed to be redirected to local government units to assist in their efforts to fight COVID-19.
ER 1-94 sets aside for host communities of power plants one centavo for every kilowatt-hour share of total electricity sales. — Adam J. Ang
