Officials of the City of Manila formally inaugurate a new four-story public health laboratory on Jan. 8, eight months after its supposed opening. (Photo from Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna's Facebook page)

CITY of Manila officials, led by Mayor Honey Lacuna and Vice Mayor Yul Servo Nieto, inaugurated a new four-story public health laboratory on Jan. 8, eight months behind its originally announced opening in May 2024. 

Located on Quiricada Street near San Lazaro Hospital, the facility has been approved by the Department of Health to operate as a tertiary laboratory, capable of conducting bacteriology, immunology, and other advanced diagnostic tests. 

In August 2024, the laboratory drew attention over its delayed completion, forcing those applying for health certificates to use a crowded, temporary testing site on Alvarez Street described as “filthy” and “substandard.”  

READ: Manila previews new health lab after ‘filthy’ temporary site draws flak  

“Unknown to malicious critics, paid trolls, and clout-chasing vloggers, who weeks ago took advantage of the situation at UST, the city hall and the Manila Health Department have been quietly and patiently working on building this new laboratory,” Lacuna said.

Lacuna, who is running for reelection, said the new facility would significantly improve Manila’s healthcare services. 

“Sa tulong ng pasilidad na ito ay madali nating matutugunan at mabibigyan ng kaukulang solusyon ang iba’t-ibang uri ng sakit ayon na rin sa resulta ng mga isinigawang laboratory test at procedure,” Lacuna said. 

The laboratory is equipped with a drug testing facility, a bacteriological testing facility for drinking water, an animal bite treatment room, an extraction drive-thru, and spaces for vaccinations and drug testing. It also has a three-unit regular waste holding room and a sputum collection area.

Maria Lourdes Santos, chief of Manila’s public health laboratory division, described the inauguration as a step toward improved healthcare and faster diagnostics. 

“Hindi lamang tayo nagdiriwang ng pagbubukas ng isang gusali kundi pati ng pangakong mas maayos na kalusugan mas mabilis na pagsusuri at mas maliwanag na kinabukasan para sa lahat ng taga-lungsod,” Santos said. 

Dr. Arnold “Poks” Pangan, Manila’s City Health Department chief and the mayor’s husband, also attended the inauguration. 

UST labor unions under  Organisasyon ng Nagkakaisang Empleyado ng UST had criticized the temporary site — which charged P625 for each health permit — for subpar facilities, especially toilets and urinals.

Stool samples and X-ray results for the health certificate were collected at a nearby covered basketball court where a sign hanging from the ceiling says a new public health laboratory won’t be open until May 2024, later papered over and changed to July 2024. City officials then announced an August 2024 opening, but the building wasn’t inaugurated until Jan. 8, 2025.

Employee health certificates became a requirement after the passage of City Ordinance 8793, or the Sanitation and Disinfection Code of the City of Manila in December 2021. 

In December 2024, UST revised its internal health certificate compliance process by allowing laboratory tests at the UST Hospital and Health Service.

READ: Deadlines set for UST faculty’s compliance with Manila health certificate  

Ex-mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, Lacuna’s former running mate and under whose term the new facility broke ground in 2021, previously told the Varsitarian that the ordinance should be amended to reflect changed circumstances.

“Kung alam mo na hindi na siya kapaki-pakinabang, hindi na siya effective, the least thing that you can do is to implement it; the best thing that you can do is to amend it,” said Moreno, who is running against Lacuna for mayor of the country’s capital city. with reports from Janica Kate J. Buan 

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