On 15 April 2020, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released P1,912,500,000 to the Department of Health (DOH) to cover the funding requirements for the procurement of Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) detection kits. 

According to the DOH, the P1.9-Billion release will cover detection kits for the 68 laboratories expected to be certified by the DOH in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and is estimated to conduct 918,000 tests. 

The released amount is charged against the pooled savings from discontinued unreleased appropriations consistent with Section 4(v) of Republic Act No. 11469, otherwise known as the “Bayanihan to Heal as One Act”.

Additional specific details regarding the detection kits may be best provided by the DOH.

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