It's not too late for free COVID testing - TESDAMAN

Sen. Joel "TESDAMAN" Villaneva called for caution in lowering pandemic alert levels to protect the workforce, and renewed his call for free COVID-19 testing in the country .

With reports of Metro Manila entering into Alert Level 1 status, return of face-to-face classes in schools, and the current election campaign activities, Villanueva urged the government to be vigilant to keep another COVID-19 surge from happening.

"We are still in a pandemic and yet Filipinos have to find and keep on earning their livelihood. Another surge means another loss of lives and livelihood," the senator said.

"The freedom to work and freedom to vote should be protected by our right to health," he added.

Villanueva lauded the Department of Health for lowering the price cap on antigen tests, but noted that the price still poses a burden to families and workers.

The DOH lowered the price of self-administered antigen rapid diagnostic test kits to P350 from P500, while the price of antigen testing service conducted by medical personnel has been capped at P660 from P960. The new price caps will be implemented starting February 20.

Meanwhile, the daily minimum wage rates in Metro Manila is at PHP 537, and varies outside the National Capital Region.

The chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resource Development, citing data as of 2021 from the National Wages and Productivity Commission, said that the estimated 3.6 million minimum wage earners in the country still cannot afford regular antigen testing if it is an out-of-pocket expense requirement for them to work or apply for work on site.

"While the price cap is good news for businesses who provide testing for their employees, free testing with fully operational contact tracing should have been a national standard by now to protect our workforce," the senator said.

Villanueva said that the government should still aim for free COVID-19 testing to relieve minimum wage earners from the increased cost of goods due to inflation and the rise of fuel prices from the past six weeks .

"It is not too late for free testing and contact tracing at this point in our fight against the pandemic. We need to prevent another surge and ensure the success of vaccination efforts. Nonetheless, this new normal should not be a burden to our workers," he said.

He added that testing, vaccination, and telemedicine for COVID-19 should be more accessible to more Filipinos in more parts of the country.

______________________________________________________________

Hindi pa huli na gawing libre ang COVID testing - TESDAMAN

Panawagan ni Sen. Joel "TESDAMAN" Villanueva ng pag-iingat sa pagpapaluwag ng alert level ng pandemya para protektahan ang mga manggagawa, at hininging gawing libre pa rin ang COVID-19 testing para sa bansa.

Sinabi ito ni Villanueva pagkatapos lumabas ang mga balita na ibaba sa Alert Level 1 ang status ng Metro Manila, ang pagbabalik ng face-to-face classes sa mga paaralan, at ang mga pagtitipon kaugnay ng kampanya. Hinimok ni Villanueva ang na maging mapagmatyag ang gobyerno para hindi muling magkaroon ng COVID-19 surge.

"May pandemya pa rin po, ngunit kailangan na ng mga Pilipino na maghanap-buhay. Malaking kasayangan na naman ng buhay at kabuhayan kung magkakaroon ng isa na namang surge," sabi ng senador.

"Dapat maprotektahan ng ating karapatan sa kalusugan ang ating kalayaang magtrabaho at bumoto," dagdag niya.

Pinapurihan naman ni Villanueva ang Department of Health sa price cap ng mga antigen test, ngunit sinabi na pabigat pa rin ito sa mga pamilya at manggagawa.

Ibinaba ng DOH ang presyo ng self-administered antigen rapid diagnostic test kits sa P350 mula P500, habang ibinaba naman sa P660 mula P960 ang presyo naman ng antigen testing service ng mga medical personnel. Ipapatupad ang mga price cap na ito simula February 20.

Samantala, ang daily minimum wage rate sa Metro Manila ay nasa P537, at nagbabago sa labas ng National Capital Region.

Sinabi ng chair ng Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resource Development na hindi abot-kaya ng may tinatayang 3.6 milyon na minimum wage earners sa bansa ang regular na antigen testing kung isa itong out-of-pocket expense para sila makapagtrabaho o maghanap ng trabaho.

"Kahit magandang balita ito sa mga kumpanyang nagpapatest ng kanilang empleyado, pambansang standard na dapat noon pa ang libreng testing at fully operational na contact tracing para protektahan ang ating mga manggagawa," sabi ng senador.

Ayon kay Villanueva, dapat pa ring gawing libre ng gobyerno ang COVID-19 testing para makaluwag ang mga minimum wage earners mula sa pasanin ng mataas na presyo ng mga bilihin hatid ng inflation at dagdag presyo ng gasolina sa nagdaang anim na linggo.

"Hindi pa rin huli para sa free testing at contact tracing sa puntong ito laban sa pandemya. Ito ay para maiwasan natin ang isa pang surge, at masiguro ang matagumpay na programa sa bakuna. Gayunpaman, hindi dapat maging pabigat sa ating mga manggagawa ang new normal," sabi niya.

Dagdag pa niya na dapat abot-kamay ng masmaraming Pilipino sa buong bansa ang testing, bakuna, at telemedicine laban sa COVID-19.