Gordon comes up with another use for donated
motorcycles to boost fight vs Covid

With the need to ramp up testing to prevent the further spread of the Coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19, Senator Richard J. Gordon has come up with another use for the more than 100 motorcycles donated to the Philippine Red Cross recently which would bolster its fight against the disease.

Gordon, chairman and CEO of the foremost humanitarian organization in the country, Philippine Red Cross, said the motorcycles would be used to transport swabbed samples from remote areas in the country to the nearest PRC molecular laboratory for testing.

"Merong mga lugar dito gaya ng Masbate, Sorsogon, mga islands, meron tayong gagawin na malapit sila doon sa mga molecular laboratory, binigyan kami ng Honda ng 104 na motorsiklo at gagamitin natin ang mga 'yun. Susunduin nila 'yung mga testing materials (swabs) and bring them to the nearest laboratory. That way, we can have it done, mabilis pang madadala," he said.

With the country's economy battered due to the two-months long total community quarantine that had to be enforced in an effort to prevent the spread of the contagion, Gordon called on the government and the people to work together to get the economy going again.

He stressed that testing is the key to getting the economy going since people could get back to their jobs if they have been tested and that testing would also ensure that infected people can be separated from those who are not so they would be prevented from transmitting the virus and they can be given treatment.

"If we all work together, kaya natin 'yan, hindi pwedeng hindi makayanan. We have to get it all together. We can fix the problem if we really focus on testing the particular areas that need to be tested. We can ensure victor over COVID," Gordon said.

The PRC head earlier said the 104 motorcycles donated by Honda Philippines last May could be used to deliver to people who need blood but cannot come to the PRC's blood banks to get them. He added they can also be used for conducting rapid damage assessment in disaster-hit areas.