MANILA – What happens inside a mega swabbing center? For the second episode of its Laging Handa Dokyu series, the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), through the Office of the Global Media and Public Affairs (OGMPA), is taking viewers inside one of the largest mega swabbing centers in the country.
Titled “Sa Loob Ng Swabbing Center”, the second episode of the docu-series, which premieres Sunday, will feature real stories that happen every day inside the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena mega swabbing center.
“The documentary showcases the first-hand perspective of what people have to go through when they undergo swab testing, to better understand its process and how important the role of our healthcare workers is in preventing the spread of Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019),” the PCOO said in a statement.
It also covers the hard work and sacrifices of front-liners, especially the healthcare workers, and the Philippine National Police (PNP), who put their lives on the line to protect their fellow citizens.
The Laging Handa Dokyu’s second episode will premiere at 9:30 p.m. on PTV-4 and IBC-13. Livestream will also be available on the PCOO social media accounts and other government-affiliated pages.
Currently, the country has more than 130 testing laboratories and four mega swabbing centers, which have already tested over 3.3 million individuals.
PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar described the docu-series as a “fresh addition” to PCOO’s consistent release of informational materials to encourage the public to adapt to the minimum public health standards.
“PCOO holds an important role in informing the public of the government’s responses, actions, and programs against Covid-19. This task of keeping the public informed has proven to be very crucial. Hence, we have been exerting all our efforts and intensifying our role in this endeavor since the beginning of this pandemic,” Andanar said.
PCOO Assistant Secretary JV Arcena, the project’s production head and executive producer, stressed the importance of producing content based on the accounts of people in the front-lines against Covid-19.
“We aim to recognize our modern-day heroes by showing the bravery and sacrifices of our front-liners that they have to deal with every day, and we hope that by showing this, we would be able to inspire all Filipinos to come together, and rise as one to defeat the pandemic,” Arcena said.
The Laging Handa Dokyu series’ first episode “Red Zone” provided a glimpse of the operations inside a temporary treatment facility at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) Forum.
The succeeding episodes will present the stories of OFW repatriation, contact tracing and testing efforts, developments on the country’s participation in clinical trials, best practices of some LGUs, and the experiences of some Covid-19 patients. (PNA)