Today, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is celebrating its 77 years of transformative humanitarian service to the country — offering an opportunity for PRC’s 102 chapters nationwide to amplify their common agenda and reaffirm their purposes and commitment to PRC’s mission and vision that have guided the organization for the past decades.

For over seven decades, the PRC evolved beyond its original conception as a blood collection agency and has now become a powerful instrument of change, dignity, and progress to the lives of millions of Filipinos during all kinds of disasters, including typhoons, earthquakes, armed conflicts, and disease outbreaks.

To provide the life-saving services it is recognized for, the PRC increased the quantity and quality of its logistics, assets, and facilities over the years. It strengthened the capacity of its Operations Center, a state-of-the-art command center connected to all the chapters across the country. The center ensures that the organization can promptly respond to any emergency, providing a coordinated response that maximizes the impact of the organization’s volunteers and logistics.

The organization also now boasts a fleet of 178 ambulances, food trucks, rescue trucks, fire trucks, humvees, amphibians, rescue boats, Volunteer Emergency Response Vehicles, water tankers with water bladders, and payloaders to clear debris in case of disasters. The MV Amazing Grace, a humanitarian ship, is another vital asset that provides rescue and relief items to various islands in the Philippines.

To operate these assets and logistics, PRC Chairman and CEO Richard “Dick” Gordon invested heavily in recruiting volunteers and developing an extensive network of trained emergency medical services personnel. Under his leadership, the PRC now has over two million volunteers across the country who can operate humanitarian assets, perform first aid, or respond to emergencies in their communities.

The PRC’s enhanced logistics, increased number of volunteers, and Operations Center fulfills the equation “Volunteers + Logistics + Information Technology = A Red Cross that is Always First, Always Ready, and Always There” – a mantra that guides PRC in its responses to vulnerable communities. Its focus on these three areas has enabled it to provide critical assistance to millions of Filipinos affected by natural disasters, pandemics, and other emergencies.

Over the years, Chairman Gordon, along with PRC Secretary-General Dr. Gwen Pang, also crystallised the need for immediate collective action to address climate change, advance gender equality, augment the country’s blood requirement, and improve the grassroot healthcare provision. These endeavors significantly enhanced the organization’s efforts to secure peace, sustainable development, and humanitarian aid. Chairman Gordon’s legacy will endure for years, as the PRC remains to inspire hope and aid for Filipinos in need.

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