The fight against COVID-19 in the Cordillera Administrative Region is getting a boost with the loaning of the Real-Time PCR Bio-Rad CFX-96 machine of the University of Santo Tomas – Research Center for Natural and Applied Sciences. The machine was procured through the Newton Agham “Development and evaluation of simple, affordable, near-patient diagnostic tests for infectious diseases in the Philippines (AND2ID in PH)” Project of UST.
Assoc. Prof. Dharmatov Rahula B. Albano, PhD, a member of the AND2ID-PH Project UST team, said that the selection of Baguio General Hospital Medical Center (BGHMC) was done in coordination with Department of Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña and Undersecretary Rowena Cristina L. Guevarra, who facilitated the request of the Department of Health. Officials from the Department of Health – Cordillera Administrative Region received the machine earlier this afternoon, April 19, 2020.
Albano (right) oversees preparations for the turnover of the machine 
Members of the UST and DoH teams 
Members of the UST and DoH teams
The project team is composed of Academician Professor Emeritus Fortunato B. Sevilla III, PhD, Assoc. Prof. Dharmatov Rahula B. Albano, PhD, Dr. Maria Rhona M. Gatpandan-Bergantin, MD, and research assistants Reyza Kathleen A. Dimaculangan and Carlo P. Andres.
Photo Credits: Dr. Dharmatov Rahula Albano
