Red Cross’ saliva, swab test price now 25% down starting Sept. 4

Friday, September 3, 2021

People taking COVID-19 tests at the Philippine Red Cross may now submit their saliva as specimen as the agency launches in January a cheaper alternative to the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction testing through swabbing. INQUIRER/NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA – The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) on Thursday announced that the price of RT-PCR saliva and swab tests for COVID-19 is now 25 percent cheaper.

PRC concurrent chairman Richard Gordon said that the swab test price is down to P2,800 from P3,500, while the saliva test only costs P1,500 from its previous price of P2,000.

This price change will be effective by September 4.

“We reduced the price of our RT-PCR tests so we could help people,” Gordon said in a statement.

“With the lower price of tests, we could test more and help more people,” he added.

PRC said the organization has conducted four million tests on its 13 molecular laboratories nationwide, as it remains as the leading tester for new coronavirus in the country.(©Philippine Daily Inquirer 2021)