Lucio Tan Group donates P15M bio-lab to PRC

The Lucio Tan Group is donating a P15-million bio-molecular laboratory equipped with automated RNA extraction and PCR machines to the Philippine Red Cross in Batangas City to bolster the country's COVID-19 testing capacity.

The new laboratory is expected to be completed within a month and will be able to conduct 4,000 COVID-19 tests daily.

Michael Tan, president and COO of LT Group, stated that the lab's primary goal is to quickly identify, isolate, and treat COVID-19-positive patients.

This facility will complement the testing operations of the Philippine Red Cross in Mandaluyong and its planned laboratory in Manila's Port Area.

The 120-square meter laboratory will be situated in the former blood center of PRC in Batangas City and will be accessible to the public, staffed by trained medical technologists.

Beyond COVID-19, the laboratory's PCR machine can also detect other diseases such as tuberculosis, cancer, HIV, dengue, malaria, hepatitis, and Zika.

PRC chair and Senator Richard Gordon highlighted the critical need for more bio-molecular laboratories and testing centers to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.