Ayala Land helps convert PRC lobby to COVID-19 Testing Center

Ayala Land Inc. continues to support the government’s efforts to quell the spread of COVID-19 as it partners with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) for the development of a new COVID-19 testing center.

The company, through its unit Makati Development Corp. (MDC), is transforming the PRC headquarters’ Mezzanine level in Mandaluyong City into a biosafety laboratory class 2 facility. This will be able to process nearly 3,000 tests per day, with the results for each batch of tests ready within two hours. The partnership is in line with Ayala Land’s aim to support the government in the construction of testing facilities to help identify people carrying the virus early on, allowing health workers to quickly isolate and treat them, thereby containing the spread.

Under the partnership, a team of volunteers formed by MDC took over electromechanical and architectural works for the testing facility. Personal protective equipment, regular check-ups and medical services were provided by the company to ensure the health and safety of the team throughout the duration of the project.

The PRC facility will use two Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) machines and an automated Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) extraction machine to process samples for testing for the Covid 19 virus.

PRC’s initiative is aligned with the Department of Health, World Health Organization, and Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, to ensure that the facility adheres to proper standards and procedures.

The construction of the COVID-19 testing facility reinforces the Ayala Group’s commitment to help contain the spread of the virus in the country.

Since the National Government’s directive to impose an enhanced community quarantine in Luzon, the Ayala Group has been delivering solutions to provide temporary relief for its employees and the communities it serves.

The group has quickly rolled out a P2.4-billion COVID-19 emergency response package, made up of wages, bonuses, leave conversions and loan deferments mostly for the extended workforce of its partner employers for their continued salary amid the quarantine.

At Ayala Land, P1.4 billion has been allotted to cover the rent-free period for tenants of malls that will be closed during the quarantine. The company will also disburse P600 million for the continued salary for workers at its construction sites, malls, and retail spaces.

With these efforts, Ayala Land aims to do its part in helping the country recover from this calamity and bring normalcy back to Filipinos’ lives as soon as possible.