Marikina Mayor Marcy Teodoro expresses frustration over DOH delay in approving COVID-19 testing center

• He expressed his frustration with the current situation as people are dying without even knowing if they are COVID-positive.
• Netizens praised Teodoro and his projects to speed up the testing process in the country. 

Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro continued to urge the government to approve the Php 3.8 million molecular laboratory the local government has set up to test for COVID-19. This was made possible with the help of the University of the Philippines National Institute of Health.

The mayor added that the members of the Department of Health, World Health Organization, and Research Institute for Tropical Medicine already conducted training and assessment of the laboratory.

“Ang feeling ko we’re treated as an applicant for a license to operate. Sabi ko sa kanila they should not treat us as an applicant, kung di partner sana na local government kasi crisis situation, public health emergency,” Teodoro said in an interview with DZMM.

The issue started when DOH called out the local government unit, saying that the laboratory has to be accredited by the department before it conducts COVID-19 testing. Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said that this is because the virus is a biosafety hazard.

“Ang mungkahi natin is tulungan, bigyan ng technical assistance itong laboratory sa Marikina para magamit. Sa ngayon po talagang kailangan natin ng testing center dahil available na po ang testing kits dito.”

He expressed his frustration as people are dying without even knowing if they are COVID-positive.

“Ang nangyayari ngayon, COVID-positive na, namatay na ‘yung pasyente hindi pa natetest eh. Kaya mahalaga yung testing para sa’min, yung access ng ordinaryong Pilipino hindi yung mga may kaya.”

On March 24, Teodoro also said he can’t help but feel anger upon seeing his fellow Filipinos suffer because they have no access to such facilities.

Marikina Mayor Marcy Teodoro says he’s frustrated over DOH’s bureaucracy on approval of the city’s Covid testing center. “…e minsan may mararamdaman ka ding galit nakikita mo kababayan mo naghihirap e wala silang ganitong access sa ganitong pasilidad,” he said. | @makipulido pic.twitter.com/RqZP3jhb0I

— GMA News (@gmanews) March 24, 2020

Netizens have also expressed their support regarding Marikina City’s efforts to conduct more tests to combat COVID-19 while questioning DOH’s decision to prolong the usage of the laboratories.

So Marikina figured out how to test COVID19 but they’re not being allowed to use it yet because they have not received go-ahead from DOH. Sayang. Every day, every test counts.

— Carlo Pamintuan (@carlo_pamintuan) March 23, 2020

The COVID testing laboratory here in Marikina is now operational. The equipment, machinery, and facility are ready. It would've been open by tomorrow.

Kaso hinarang pa ng DOH. For what? Ayaw nanaman ba masapawan ng national gov't? Ika nga ni Mayor Marcy:#MassTestingNowPH pic.twitter.com/2xNlh7ee11

— James Daniel (@HeresJemmy) March 23, 2020

I feel for my city.

The Marikina laboratory is a concrete response to on-ground situations in our communities. The LGU saw the need for mass testing, so they came up with a lab.

So bakit hindi suportahan at padaliin ang ganitong efforts?#FreeMassTestingNow pic.twitter.com/NrmTIeXLzK

— Patis ☀ (@patismungcal) March 23, 2020

DOH: We don't have enough laboratories

Marikina: lemme help

DOH: lol no https://t.co/KhnC9DPd1u

— s a r a h • #MassTestingNowPH (@lakwatsarah) March 24, 2020

Marcy Teodoro will be doing a COVID19 mass testing starting monday. He will be using testing kits that was developed from UP-PGH and will prioritize those frontliners who are giving health care and safety in Marikina.

Kung kaya ng mayor namin, dapat kaya din ng iba ✊ pic.twitter.com/UmXeSQkA8z

— drea ^lets love! (@JUNMYE0NED) March 19, 2020

Teodoro was also commended as he distributed eco bags with basic necessities without his name on it, unlike Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte who had her slogan “Joy Para Sa Bayan” printed on the bags.

Not to brag or anything. I'm not against you Mayor Joy Belmonte, But how dare you to distribute those eco bags with your name embosed to it. It's not even a campaign. Now I get why many people hate you.

QC VS MARIKINA, Know the difference. pic.twitter.com/YiVokylyIS

— L S J (@Infnte008) March 18, 2020