Aboitiz medical equipment donation expands, speeds up Davao COVID-19 testing capacity
THE Aboitiz Group, through the Aboitiz Foundation, continues to contribute to the country’s COVID-19 response efforts by turning over a brand new RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) Extraction machine to the Davao City local government unit (LGU), boosting the city’s overall testing efforts.
RNA extraction is a key pre-analytical step before COVID-19 test samples are processed by an RT-PCR (Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) machine. With the donation, Davao City will now have three RNA machines: one in Davao City International Airport and two in the city’s Los Amigos Molecular Laboratory.
The additional RNA machine is expected to help increase the city’s testing capacity and yield faster testing turnaround time.
“On behalf of the City Government of Davao, I would like to thank the Aboitiz Foundation for donating this RNA Extraction Machine to the City Government of Davao – the latest in the long list of donations and assistance we
have received from the Aboitiz Group over the past few years. We would also like to thank the Department of Tourism for facilitating this donation,” said Mayor Sara Duterte-carpio during the machine’s turnover last February 19.
Aboitiz Group’s Chief Commercial and Stakeholder Engagement Officer Danel Aboitiz assured Mayor Duterte-carpio and the Davao LGU that it will continuously support its Covid-19 response initiatives.
“As an LGU, you have shown great leadership in managing this public health crisis — from testing and contact tracing to, most recently, unveiling your vaccination program. This inspires us in the private sector to do more to support our host communities. We hope this RNA Extraction Machine, which is facilitated through Aboitiz Foundation, brings positive impact to all Davaoeños and Davao City towards reversing the trend of new cases,” Aboitiz said.meantime, Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-puyat also expressed her gratitude, highlighting the public-private partnership between the
Aboitiz Group and the government.
“To triumph over the COVID-19 pandemic, we need a strong multi-sectoral approach. This is being demonstrated here today as entities from the national and local government have worked handin-hand with the private sector, notably the Aboitiz Foundation, to donate an RNA extraction machine to the City of Davao,” Sec. Romulo-puyat said.
Aboitiz underscored the importance of working with the government in ensuring people’s safety and security as tourism activities and the economy gradually open.
“We are likewise honored to be working with Secretary Berna and the Department of Tourism in bringing focus on our individual responsibilities to follow all the necessary health protocols as economic activity slowly resumes. One clear takeaway from COVID-19 is the crucial role of publicprivate partnerships in inclusive recovery, however long it may take,” Aboitiz added.
The Aboitiz Group is present in Davao City through the country’s thirdlargest private power distribution utility, Davao Light & Power Co., Inc., and Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc., which is helping build the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project. It is one of the country’s largest bulk water supply facilities that will supply over 300 million liters per day of safe and sustainable water to the Davaoenos.
Since the start of the community lockdowns in 2020, the Aboitiz Group has implemented various COVID-19 response initiatives nationwide, amounting to over P2.2 billion in monetary and in-kind contributions with the purpose of serving affected communities and medical frontliners nationwide.