The Philippine Red Cross’ (PRC) saliva reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing services is now available at SM City Puerto Princesa.
Led by Vice Mayor Nancy Socrates, PRC–Palawan has launched its drive-thru Saliva RT-PCR collection site at SM that will operate every Monday to Friday, from 1PM to 5PM.
The location will serve as specimen collection sites while the samples will be forwarded to the PRC laboratories for testing.
The Saliva RT-PCR costs PHP2,000, way cheaper than the current prices of the RT-PCR swab test. PRC would send the results via e-mail or by text message within 24-48 hours.
Booking an appointment online is needed before proceeding to the collection site. Those who want to book an appointment for the RT-PCR Saliva test may do so via book.redcross1158.com.
Through their signed partnership agreement, PRC and SM Supermalls intend to roll out the Saliva RT-PCR services in more areas after they initially established the first two collection sites in SM Megamall at the Mega A bus bay in Edsa, Mandaluyong and at the 5 Ecom Open Parking in SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.
The PRC, through its chairman and CEO, Senator Richard Gordon, and the management of SM Supermalls headed by its president Steven Tan, held a ceremonial signing of the memorandum of agreement at the PRC Logistics and Multipurpose Center.
PRC biomolecular laboratories chief Paulyn Ubial said the process is fast and convenient.
“Ang magada rito hindi na lalabas sa sasakyan yung mga tinetesting inaabot na lang sa kanila yung tube and dun sila mag co-collect sa loob ng sasakyan, ilalagay nila yung barcode at ia-abot sa sample collector, so mabilis lang, 5 to 10 minutes (The good thing about this is that they do not need to go out of their vehicles. They will be given a tube and they will collect their own specimen inside their vehicles. They will place the barcode and give it back to the sample collector. It will take them only about 5 to 10 minutes),” Ubial said. (PR)
