CSR head Norreen Bautista turns over the RT-PCR kits donation to Gov. Roel Degamo as Negros Oriental assistant health officer Dr. Liland Zoila Bustamante-Estacion and EDC CSR’s Dr. Rafael Duhaylungsod look onEnergy Development Corporation (EDC) continues to fulfill its mission of forging a regenerative future for its Negrense stakeholders by providing P5.6 million worth of additional support to Negros Oriental in the form of RT-PCR detection and extraction test kits and other consumables for the province’s molecular laboratory at the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital.

Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo officially received the kits from Norreen Bautista, EDC’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) head. The turnover was witnessed by Dr. Liland Zoila BustamanteEstacion, Negros Oriental Provincial IATF ground commander and assistant provincial health officer; and Dr. Rafael Duhaylungsod, EDC-CSR for Negros external and stakeholder relations officer.

“We all need to keep working together and giving whatever we can to manage the increasing number of COVID-19 positive cases. This is crucial for the province and for each one of us to thrive and not just survive this economic and health crisis,” said Bautista.

The donation was given in addition to the state-of-the-art RT-PCR machines and peripherals that EDC has provided to help the province put up its own molecular laboratory, which is crucial to managing the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the two RT-PCR machines that can process up to 200 swab tests per day, the laboratory is now able to expedite the processing of COVID-19 swab samples, with results released within the day unlike before when it took up to 10 days for Negrenses to get them from the nearest testing centers in Cebu City.

Degamo thanked EDC for continuously helping Negros Oriental.

“I am very grateful to EDC for its continuous support and assistance to the province of Negros Oriental, most particularly this period wherein we are combating COVID-19. EDC is a partner in so many instances, and until today they are helping us,” he said. (Story/Photos by: Frances Ariola)