Robredo’s office rolls out free antigen tests anew amid COVID-19 spike
MANILA, Philippines — The office of Vice President Leni Robredo is offering free antigen tests again in response to the spike in new COVID-19 cases in the country presumed to be driven by the more infectious Omicron variant.
“Swab Cab,” a mobile COVID-19 testing hub in partnership with the local government of Quezon City, Angat Buhay of Robredo’s office and UBE Express, was relaunched Wednesday along Tandang Sora Avenue corner Visayas Avenue Extension in Quezon City.
The mobile testing hub was open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Out of the 410 people screened for COVID-19 as of 1:20 p.m., 191 of them turned out positive for the virus.
The Swab Cab’s next stop is at QCX in Quezon Memorial Circle on January 6. Those who wish to get tested must pre-register here.
Robredo’s office first rolled out Swab Cabs during a coronavirus surge in March 2021.
Robredo’s free testing initiative comes as there are renewed calls for free mass testing — appeals which the government still does not want to heed.
Nearly three years into the pandemic, Philippine regulators have yet to approve cheap, self-test antigen kits which many developed countries already use to test for COVID-19, forcing Filipinos to pay between P3,800 to P5,000 for an RT-PCR test and up to P960 for an antigen test.
The Swab Cab is just one of the many projects the Robredo’s office undertook as a response to the pandemic, which include the local production of personal protective equipment, the provision of transportation and accommodation to healthcare workers, free teleconsultations, and the vaccination of essential workers in partnership with local governments.
Robredo is also calling for more volunteers for her office’s free teleconsultation service, Bayanihan E-Konsulta, which was first launched in April 2021.
Doctors may sign up here, while mental health professionals may sign up here, and non-medical volunteers may sign up here. — Xave Gregorio
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