By Donna Rempillo
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga - Pampanga Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda has appealed to Overseas Filipinos (OF) and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), especially Capampangans, to take flights to Clark International Airport for them to have a 2-3 day turn out of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test results.
Pampanga Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda
(Screenshot from PIO Pampanga via Donna Rempillo / MANILA BULLETIN)
“If you can take the Clark flight much better po, kasi po pag dito kayo sa Clark bumababa, dito na po mag-sa-swab sa province, pag dito na po kayo naswab mabilis na ang result, pag lumabas na po ang result at negative wala na po kaming irerequire na other requirements, pumasa lang po kayo sa PCR it’s okay na for the province” Pineda said
Pineda also offered to pick-up his cabalen OF and OFWs from the National Capital Region to do the testing and isolation in their hometown instead of being quarantined for 14 days in Metro Manila.
“Nag-offer po ako na kung pwede ang mga Kapampangan na OFWs dito na sa Pampanga ma-isolate and ma-swab dahil meron po tayong sariling PCR Machine” Pineda said.
National Action Plan Against COVID-19 Chief implementer and Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. lauded Pineda’s move as something that other LGUs should replicate in their respective areas.
“Nagusap po kami ng governor ng Pampanga. He is more than willing, na kapag andun sa NCR yung kaniyang OFWs na taga Pampanga, kukunin niya, at siya na mismo ang mag papa PCR ditto sa J-B-Lingad. That is a gesture na nakikita naming pwedeng gayahin ng mga LGUs.” (The Governor of Pampanga and I talked and he is more than willing to assist his Cabalen OFWs and fetch them at NCR to go back and do the PCR test here at J-B-Lingad, That is a gesture which we saw can be replicated by other LGUs) Sec. Galvez said.
The province can administer 3,000 to 4,000 tests per day in the Molecular and Diagnostic Pathology Laboratory at Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital (JBLMRH) located in the City of San Fernando.