Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion said more local government units in Metro Manila and nearby provinces will be joining the Project ARK (antibody rapid test kits) initiative.
To date, Project ARK is working with LGUs of Antipolo, Batangas, Quezon City, Pasig, Taguig and Makati to bring mass testing down to the community level, his statement read.
These will be conducted through the help of donors, such as the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc., Wilcon Depot, RFM Corp., Angkas and the Aboitiz Group.
To date, Project ARK has procured 1,015,752 rapid test kits for 177 companies, of which 877,272 will be used by partner companies and 138,480 will go to barangay donations.
PROJECT ARK Medical front-line workers undergo rapid antibody testing supervised by the staff of Ospital ng Sampaloc in Manila on Friday. The tests were done in collaboration with Project ARK, an initiative led by Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion that bands together the top economic leaders and major business conglomerates in the country. —RICHARD A. REYES
Launched on April 24, Project Ark’s massive rapid testing initiative kicked off in Sampaloc, Manila, conducting 854 tests out of the target 1,500 sampling size. From those tests, 31 persons were consequently identified as presumptive positive for COVID-19.
Another mass screening was conducted in District 1, Tondo, on May 3. A total of 1,409 tests were done, using antibody rapid test kits donated by Angkas. From the tests conducted, 109 individuals were identified as presumptive positive.
Concepcion emphasizes that in order for the economy to safely reopen and restart, mass testing must be done. “We are at war with an invisible enemy. That is why the key is visibility. We have to test, test, test! Mass testing is the key to reopening our economy and reinstating public confidence,” he said.
Project ARK is an initiative led by Concepcion that bands together the biggest economic players and business conglomerates in the country.
Barangay implementation is part of Project ARK’s “bayanihan” initiative. In addition to encouraging the screening of employees to ensure safety at work, Project ARK supports companies to lead the voluntary testing of barangay citizens.