Positively negative

I must admit I was nervous taking my first swab test since the pandemic struck last year. You’ll never know what could turn out. I’ve somewhat been isolated at home for months, leaving only to do essential work, walking around the village for exercise and keeping safe in Alabang or Batangas. I figured I couldn’t be positive for COVID-19 because no one in our family and household has been infected.

But I had to do a test because it’s a requirement by GAB to safeguard everyone participating in the six-fight card promoted by Bebot Elorde in the Biñan football stadium tomorrow. I’ll be doing the TV commentary with Dennis Principe. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity because this is the first boxing show to be televised since the COVID-19 outbreak. Besides, the main event is for the vacant “regular” WBA minimumweight title between two Filipinos, former world champion Vic Saludar and undefeated Robert Paradero.

This will only be the sixth world title fight involving two Filipinos in history. The first was the contest between world flyweight titleholder Pancho Villa and challenger Clever Sencio at Wallace Field in Manila in 1925. The second was the WBF welterweight title match between champion William Magahin and Hawaii-born Erwin Villaver at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in 1995. There were two all-Filipino world title duels in 2018 with IBF superflyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas outpointing Jonas Sultan in Fresno in May and Donnie Nietes battling Aston Palicte to a split draw for the vacant WBO superflyweight crown in Inglewood in September. In 2019, Pedro Taduran claimed the vacant IBF minimumweight throne by halting Samuel Salva at the end of four rounds in Taguig.

I went to the Crosmedica Medical Laboratory on J. P. Rizal corner P. Tuazon Boulevard in Quezon City for my test yesterday. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. I was led to a room on the second floor of the Emerald Square Complex Building and met Dr. Maria Olivia Castro who administered the test. Dr. Castro was in Paniqui, Tarlac, to test the fighters who performed in a card last Saturday. She was a regular at the Elorde Gym on Katipunan until going to the gym was banned because of the lockdown last year. Now that gyms have opened up to limited capacity, Dr. Castro still hasn’t gone back with the pandemic not yet under control. She’s actually a dentist by profession but she’s certified to do testing. I was stretched out on a dental patient’s chair with an air purifier beside me while the test was done. A long swab stick was inserted in each of my nostrils then I waited 15 minutes for the result. The test was a “rapid chromatographic immunoassay for the qualitative detection of specific antigens to SARS-COV-2 in human nasopharynx.” Head of laboratory Dr. Olga Munar-Bausa and medical technologist Aira Mae Juanitas signed the document certifying I tested negative.

Dr. Castro said there were 16 persons, including staff and media, lined up for testing as a requirement to enter the Biñan football stadium. I was the first to show up. GAB chairman Baham Mitra will attend the fights tomorrow and personally supervise the proceedings. “All protocols observed, including 14-day quarantine, testing before the fights, GAB venue inspection, MGCQ requirement and LGU permit,” he said. “The WBA sanction letter was sent to GAB as early as last December.”