MANILA - Quezon City, the most densely-populated area in Metro Manila, on Monday launched its pilot community-based COVID-19 testing.

Some 150 residents in Quezon City suspected of COVID-19 infection are set to be tested at the Quezon Memorial Circle, Project Director Joseph Juico said in a statement Sunday.

"These people are identified by the district health officers and are suspected COVID-19 patients with symptoms,” he said.

The tests will be processed by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, said Dr. Rolando Cruz, head of the city health department's Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit.

Results are expected to be released in 3 to 5 days, he added.

Residents who would yield negative results will undergo 14-day home quarantine while those who test positive will be transferred to the city's quarantine facilities.

Mayor Joy Belmonte said community-based testing was crucial to "help calibrate our efforts in combating the spread of COVID-19."

The City Health Department said it was coordinating with gated communities and homeowners associations to initiate testing in their areas.

The Quezon City government is also in the process of procuring 10,000 swab and universal transport media (UTM) kits for COVID-19 testing while the Philippine Red Cross will provide 1,500 test kits "in the coming days," said Cruz.

The city, home to nearly 3 million people as of 2015, is also finalizing its partnerships with St. Luke’s Medical Center and the Lung Center of the Philippines for faster release of test results.