The country’s first rape kit officially launches commercially

The Sexual Assault Investigation Kit moves to mass production.

It’s official: The Sexual Assault Investigation Kit (SAI.Kit) will now be commercially produced for child protection units, local hospitals, and Violence Against Women desks. This follows its official launch on May 19, at the Natural Sciences Research Institute in UP Diliman.

At the launch, a commercial licensing agreement was signed between biotech company Manila HealthTek Inc. (MTek) and the University of the Philippines, which were represented by Dr. Raul V. Destura, Founder & CEO of Manila HealthTek Inc., and Atty. Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II, Chancellor of UPD. This partnership grants Manila HealthTek the permission to produce the SAI.Kits in large numbers.

The signing was seven years in the making, as discussions on commercialization of the SAI.Kit began in 2019.

Following the SAI.Kit’s major milestone, researcher Dr. De Ungria emphasized the need for collaboration with different sectors in taking the next steps. In particular, she shared the importance of distributing kits in hospitals and amending judicial rules on DNA evidence.

Present at the launch were various stakeholders from the government, including representatives from DOJ, DILG, and DOST who expressed their support for the SAI.Kit’s launch. “Makakaasa kayo na nandito lang po ang Department of Justice para po mag-support at tumulong po sa inyo,” shared DOJ Undersecretary Atty. Margarita Gutierrez.

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