Lucio Tan Group donates P15M lab to Red Cross for COVID testing

LT Group Inc., the holding firm for the businesses of taipan Lucio Tan, on Monday said it is donating a P15-million biomolecular laboratory, with a daily capacity of 4,000 coronavirus tests, to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC).

Expected to be completed in a month, the laboratory will use its own automated RNA Extraction and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine which is also capable of detecting other diseases such as tuberculosis, cancer, HIV, dengue, malaria, hepatitis, and Zika.

It will have a floor area of 120 square meters located inside the PRC's former blood center in Batangas City, which will open to the public.

"LT Group’s donation is part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic which covers different facets of the battle against the virus – from providing supplies to medical health workers, to beefing up hospitals, and providing food and water to frontliners manning different borders," it said.

The group has so far donated 40 ventilators, five PCR machines, two ambulances, and one x-ray machine to several hospitals in the country, in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

Its member firms include Asia Brewery Inc., Eton Properties Philippines Inc., PMFTC Inc., Tanduay Distillers Inc., Philippine National Bank, and Philippine Airlines, which provided assistance through various charities such as "Help Flows."

Just recently, Tan provided P15-billion equity infusion to PAL which in turn provided a safety net from bankruptcy as services remain hit by travel restrictions.—AOL, GMA News