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Private sector contributes majority of COVID testing in Philippines
The Philippine government is collaborating with the private sector to enhance the nation's COVID-19 testing capacity, aiming for 30,000 tests daily.
The private sector has contributed the majority, 66%, of the 11,123 tests conducted on May 14, 2020, with the Philippine Red Cross accounting for 45% of the total capacity.
Government agencies, including the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, contributed 34% of the tests on the same day.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque clarified that the government does not have a mass testing program for employees returning to work, leaving this to the private sector.
The Employers Confederation of the Philippines has requested government assistance for employee testing, citing financial limitations for businesses.
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The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) urged the government to fund mass testing for private sector employees.
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Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque clarified that the government's policy is expanded targeted testing, not mass testing, with a goal to test 1.5 to 2 percent of the country's 110 million population.
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Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque claimed the Philippines exceeded its target testing capacity of 30,000 per day, reaching 32,100 tests on May 20.
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The Department of Health (DOH) clarified that the 32,000 daily COVID-19 testing figure is the country's estimated maximum capacity, not the actual number of tests conducted.
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The Philippines now has 29 licensed RT-PCR laboratories for COVID-19 testing.
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