TABUK CITY, Kalinga: The country’s first molecular laboratory funded by a local government unit (LGU) is now operational in this city.

The opening came after issuance by the Department of Health of its license to operate (LTO) to further fast track release of swab test results.

Mayor Darwin Estrañero noted that several months of completing requirements of the fifth molecular laboratory in the Cordillera Administrative Region paid off with the eventual release

of the LTO that will enable the new laboratory to start processing swab tests not only from the city but also from different parts of the province and neighboring LGUs.

“We have full trust and confidence in our health workers who will be assigned to the molecular laboratory for the efficient and effective operation of the city’s new facility, which will help in improving turnaround time in the release of swab test results. We cannot afford to make our people wait for a long period of time for their swab test results to be released,” Estrañero said.

The LTO of the Tabuk molecular laboratory released on June 15, 2021 will expire on Dec. 31, 2021 subject to renewal by the local government.

Earlier, the Tabuk LGU earmarked P15 million for acquisition of appropriate equipment for the laboratory.

According to Estranero, personnel who will man the laboratory had passed proficiency tests administered by the Metro Manila-based Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.

He explained the local government thought of investing in a molecular laboratory because they previously had to transport the swab test results from Kalinga to Baguio City, Tuguegarao City in Cagayan or Ilagan City in Isabela for the same to be subjected to reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction tests there.

The mayor said their molecular laboratory can conduct 600 to 700 tests a day, a significant contribution to reducing the number of swab samples to be transported from Tabuk City.