By Analou De Vera The Department of Health (DOH) said it has not approved the Marikina City government's COVID-19 testing laboratory because it did not meet the required standards. Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III (CZAR DANCEL / MANILA BULLETIN) In a press briefing, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the laboratory should be set up in a different area. The testing facility is located at the sixth floor of the City Health Office building. "Hindi po na aprubahan ang laboratoryo dahil hindi po pumasa sa standards on space and biosafety. Nasa sixth floor po kasi ang kanilang laboratoryo, kaya minumungkahi ng DOH na gamitin ang laboratoryo ng Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center or mag set-up ng laboratoryo sa ibang lokasyon," Duque said. (The laboratory was disapproved because it did not pass the space and biosafety standards. The laboratory is on the sixth floor, so DOH suggested they use the laboratory at Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center or set up a laboratory in a different location.) “Pwede itong modular o prefab infrastructure lamang. Tutulungan po sila ng RITM (Research Institute for Tropical Medicine) kung paano magpatayo ng isang facility na nakasunod sa guidelines for biosafety.” Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro recently announced that they partnered with Manila Health Tek Inc., a private biotechnology company, to set up the city's laboratory testing center for COVID-19.