On PEZA’s 27th anniversary, Philippine Red Cross Chairman and CEO Sen. Dick Gordon receives the Galing Pinas Partnership Excellence Award.
PRC supports PEZA’s efforts and looks forward to a continuation of your confidence and that we maintain the bonds of our partnership so we can improve the quality of life and preserve the dignity of vulnerable Filipinos everywhere.
Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman and CEO Sen. Dick Gordon reminds the public to continue observing health protocols despite the lowering of COVID-19 cases. Chairman Gordon also reiterated that one can prevent COVID-19 transmission through vaccination, testing, and isolation once symptoms occur.
PRC continues to operate their Isolation Facilities which was started during the surge last March 2021 in response to the rising cases of COVID-19 cases in the country. Chairman Gordon saw the need to establish isolation facilities to cater to patients and prevent household transmission. The isolation facilities are in partnership with the different local government units in Metro Manila which turned unused classrooms into COVID-19 facilities.
“Ipinagpapatuloy namin sa Red Cross ang aming initiatives upang maiwasan ang COVID-19. Sa bumababang kaso ng COVID-19 cases sa bansa, dapat hindi tayo maging kampante at nakakahawa pa rin ang COVID-19 at maaring makaapekto sa mga hindi pa nababakunahan. Kaya magpabakuna na kayo, magpa test, at mag isolate kung may symptoms upang maiwsan ang COVID-19,” Chairman Gordon said.
The repurposed classrooms and facilities in UP, Ateneo, Makati Science High School, St. Benilde, Adamson, and also in Cagayan, house asymptomatic and mild patients to allow them to be isolated for 14 days away from their households. These individuals are provided with essential needs such as beds, toiletries, isolation kits, and food.
The PRC isolation facility program is only one among the various initiatives dedicated to enhancing the management of COVID-19 in the country. To date, 5, 176 patients were served since the start of operations.
Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman and CEO Sen. Dick Gordon is calling the public in practicing household-level fire safety measures to prevent suffering heavy losses due to fire incidents in observance of the fire prevention month starting March 01, 2022.
Since the start of the year, PRC responded to 31 fire incidents in the country. With a total fleet of 19 fire trucks, PRC is ready to help the local government unit to be always first, always ready, and always there to respond to fire emergencies.
PRC Chairman Gordon also reiterated the importance of the organization’s 4Ps principle—Predict, Plan, Prepare, Practice—to uphold the safety of every family.
“Isang paalala po sa publiko ang pag oobserve ng tamang fire safety sa ating mga tahanan. Ang fire safety ay isang shared responsibility sa ating lahat upang maiwasan ang sunog at madamay ang iba. By practicing fire safety, you can not only save your family or loved ones but especially those around you,” Chairman Gordon said.
PRC is in full support of the campaign of Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to raise fire prevention awareness throughout the month of March, which is said to have the most number of fire incidents due to the peaking of temperatures.
In line with this, PRC reminds the public to practice the following fire prevention tips:
1. Do not smoke in bed.
2. Crush cigarette butts thoroughly before discarding them.
3. Do not throw them into wastebaskets.
4. Keep lighted candles, oil or gas lamps away from curtains and other objects that easily catch fire.
5. Do not store any flammable substances or any volatile liquid in the kitchen and inside dwelling houses. Keep matches and lighters away from children’s reach.
6. Do not use open flames for decorations in the house.
7. Extinguish all live charcoal and embers after cooking in the kitchen. Make sure the kitchen is inspected before retiring for the night.
8. Kerosene and gas stoves should be checked for leakage and regularly cleaned. It is best to invest in a quality LPG tank.
9. your electrical installations regularly and have all frayed wiring, damaged sockets, switches and other defective electrical fixtures changed or repaired promptly.
10. All electrical installations, repairs and changes should be undertaken by licensed electricians. Never run electrical cords under rugs.
11. Cords of portable appliances should be as short as possible.
12. Do not overload your electrical circuits by profusely putting extra lights and appliances. Combustible and other flimsy materials should not be placed near bulbs.
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) received a PHP 570,400 donation from the Japan
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Philippines Inc. (JCCI) last February 21,
2022, to support the affected families in the relief and recovery efforts brought on by the
devastation of Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai).
The Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) is a network of comprehensive
local economic organizations made up of the representatives of some 1.25 million
member businesses nationwide, embracing everything from large and medium-sized
corporations down to small firms and sole proprietors. JCCI’s goal is to encourage the
full flowering of individual inspiration by helping member companies, their employees,
and their respective communities ceaselessly foster bold innovations, making the most
of their unique qualities.
A turnover ceremony was held at the PRC National Headquarters and was attended by
PRC Chairman and CEO Sen. Dick Gordon, Mitsubishi Corporation Manila Branch
President Mr. Keiichi Matsunaga, Cavite Export Zone Investors Association Mr. Nobuo
Fujii, and JCCI Sec. General Mr. Tomohiro Koseki.
“I would like to thank JCCIPI for this generous donation in helping the Filipinos affected
by Super Typhoon Odette. Thank you also for choosing the Philippine Red Cross as
your partner of choice and becoming the bridge to alleviate the suffering and uplift the
dignity of the affected families. Rest assured that this donation will go a long way
towards their recovery and will help those people get back on their feet,” Chairman
Gordon said.
Even two months after Typhoon Odette wreaked havoc in the Visayas and Mindanao
region, PRC continues to assist affected families nonstop and in need of direct help
through continuous water distribution, supplying hot meals, providing food and non-food
items, plus undertaking shelter rebuilding.
Intensifying efforts to reach out to COVID-19 hard-hit communities, the Philippine Red Cross(PRC), through the leadership of PRC Chairman and CEO Sen. Dick Gordon, continues to deploy their hot meals on wheels food trucks to different locations around Luzon.
Last February 15, 2022, volunteers and staff from the PRC served 620 individuals through the PRC’s Community Feeding Program targeting mostly children, senior citizens, solo parents, and persons with disabilities.
In Malabon, PRC distributed hot meals to 220 individuals in Perez St. Tonsuya while in barangay 888 Zone 98 District 6 Manila, 200 individuals were given hot meals and loaves of bread provided by Gardenia.
Apart from Metro Manila, the PRC also deployed its hot meals on wheels food truck in Sitio Ulingan Binuwangan, Bagac Bataan serving 200 individuals.
“Patuloy na aming dinedeploy ang mga food trucks na ito upang mabigyang lunas ang kagutuman na nangyayari sa ating bansa,” reiterates PRC Chairman and CEO Sen. Dick Gordon.
According to the PRC Welfare Services, they target to deploy its food truck to more areas around Metro Manila to intensify serving more communities hardly hit by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The PRC has 29 Hot meals on Wheels food trucks equipped with kitchens that can prepare 100 meals per hour or 800 meals on an 8-hour operation.
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Increasing their efforts to fight against COVID-19, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), through the leadership of Chairman and CEO Senator Dick Gordon continues to deploy their Bakuna Buses to administer primary, secondary and booster vaccine doses in partnership with Lazada Philippines this February 15, 2022 up to February 19, 2022.
“The more people we vaccinate, the closer we are getting to reaching herd immunity,” Senator Dick Gordon.
According to the PRC Health Services, this week, the PRC volunteers are targeting to administer doses for 600 individuals as the Bakuna Buses will be deployed in the following areas: Barangay Malanday and Fortune, Barangay North Fairview, San Bartolome, and at the LAZADA Hub in San Pedro Laguna.
As of February 14, 2022, the PRC Bakuna Buses, in partnership with Lazada Philippines, have administered 3,373 doses since launching the program last January 2022. The partnership aims to boost vaccination rates through Lazada’s donations enabling PRC to support its Bakuna Bus Deployments until May 2022.
Meanwhile, the PRC has also achieved another milestone as they have now administered more than a million doses since launching their COVID-19 Vaccination Program last March 2021. Being of assistance by helping our country curb the pandemic, the humanitarian organization has now administered 1,002,041 doses as of February 14, 2022.
“The best way to protect yourself, your loved ones, and the people around you is by getting vaccinated,” Gordon said.
Port Area,Manila- The Philippine Red Cross(PRC) Hemodialysis Center has now done 14,006 hemodialysis treatments as of February 1, 2022 since welcoming its first patients back in February 2019.
“We established a hemodialysis center to strengthen the Red Cross humanitarian efforts to uplift human dignity,” said Chairman and CEO Dick Gordon.
Despite the ongoing pandemic, the PRC Hemodialysis Center has remained in operation and has treated over 71 patients providing 7,183 treatments last 2020, and 3942 treatments last 2021.
Right now, the PRC Hemodialysis Center has 22 patients and is actively looking for more since the facility can accommodate up to 90 patients, depending on whether they are on a twice or thrice a week hemodialysis program. With its 15 state-of-the-art dialysis machines donated by Dr. Takao Suzuki, the chairperson of Tokushukai General Inc. Association, and hemodialysis treatments funded by the Bloomberry Foundation, the PRC is offering the Hemodialysis Samaritan Program to patients needing hemodialysis treatment.
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) reminds everyone to practice health and safety protocols for individuals attending the campaign rallies set in different areas nationwide. The Philippines entered the official campaign period on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, which will differ from past elections as this is the first time that the campaign period is happening during the pandemic.
The Department of Health warned that campaign activities could become superspreader events for COVID-19. PRC Chairman and CEO Sen. Dick Gordon urged everyone to observe health and safety protocols such as wearing a face mask, washing /sanitizing his/her hands, and social distancing, as the COVID-19 omicron variant is still highly transmissible and may further mutate.
“Marami pa ang kaso ng COVID-19 sa bansa, kaya tayo ay mag-iingat at laging sumunod sa health and safety protocols upang maiwasan na mahawa sa COVID-19. Magpabakuna at magpa-test para maprotektahan natin ang ating mga sarili. Patuloy ang operasyon ng PRC Bakuna Centers at mga Bakuna Buses para malabanan ang COVID-19,” Chairman Gordon said.
Since PRC started its vaccination program, PRC administered 984 764 doses nationwide to intensify its fight against COVID-19. The 14 PRC molecular laboratories remain operational and have conducted 5,430,773 tests since the PRC began testing in April 2020.
Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman and CEO Sen. Dick Gordon deployed a food truck to provide Hot Meals to 250 locally-stranded individuals (LSI) bound to Zamboanga, Cagayan, Ozamis, Cebu, and Bacolod last January 20, 2022.
PRC Welfare services, together with the Manila chapter, assisted 250 individuals stranded due to pandemic and the recent onslaught of Typhoon Odette.
Aside from Hot Meals, the PRC welfare team also provided clothes, face masks, and hygiene kits to address the current needs of the stranded individuals.
Among the beneficiaries is Jikala Jilpan, a 45-year-old fisherman from Mindanao who was amputated due to a mine explosion while fishing is currently staying in North Port, Manila, with his 9-year-old granddaughter.
“Maraming maraming salamat Sen. Gordon sa tulong na ibinigay niyo sa amin. malaking tulong po ito sa amin dahil mahirap maghanap ng pagkain ngayon,” Jilpan said.
“Kaagad ko ipinadala ang aming mga food trucks kasama ang aming welfare team upang mamahagi ng libreng hot meals, facemasks, hygiene kits, at damit sa mga stranded nating mga kapatid na badjao,” Gordon said.
PRC led by Sen. Gordon continues to provide much-needed relief to the most vulnerable families affected by the pandemic, and the recent onslaught of Typhoon Odette in Palawan, Visayas, and Mindanao Region.
“Sa panahon na marami ang naghihirap sa bagyo at pandemya, narito lagi ang Philippine Red Cross na laging handang tumulong sa mga nangangailangan. ‘Di ko kayo papabayaan,” Gordon added.
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Through the initiative of Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman and CEO Sen. Dick Gordon to provide an immediate response to the Visayas and Mindanao region affected by the recent Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai), PRC Hot Meals on Wheels provided free ready-to-eat meals to 75,141 individuals, since the beginning of Typhoon Odette operations.
In the immediate aftermath of any disaster, access to food is usually disrupted, with displaced families unable to prepare their food. This threatens the health, nutrition, and well-being of affected communities. The “Hot Meals on Wheels” program seeks to address this by having a fleet of food trucks that could be easily mobilized to provide food relief within 24 hours of a disaster.
PRC’s Hot Meals on Wheels first started in 2005, through the vision of PRC Chairman Dick Gordon to provide food to the most vulnerable. PRC acquired its first food truck when Chairman Gordon donated his personal funds to procure a food truck and distributed it to the different PRC chapters in the National Capital Region.
As of this writing, PRC’s food trucks have catered to over a million people, responding to disasters like Bohol Earthquake and Zamboanga Siege in 2013, Mindanao Earthquake in 2019, Typhoon Rolly and Ulysses in 2020, and throughout the entire COVID-19 operations.
When the COVID-19 pandemic happened in the Philippines, imposing a lockdown in the country, Thousands of Filipinos lost their jobs, their source of livelihood, and have restricted access to food. Through PRC Hot Meals on Wheels, the humanitarian organization can provide food to the most vulnerable individuals such as senior citizens, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, and children greatly affected by the pandemic.
To intensify PRC’s covid response in providing Hot Meals to lockdown affected residents, PRC procured seven food trucks last July 2021, and an additional five more last October 2021, making it a fleet of 28 food trucks.
This initiative by PRC is in response to the imposition of strict community quarantine measures that restrict the residents to their access to food and other basic needs.
The food trucks are one of the first responses of PRC in emergencies and are currently stationed in key-strategic areas nationwide to hasten relief operations.
Each food truck is fully-equipped with an industrial-size rice cooker, warmers, oven, and burners. It is designed to provide on-site meals for the victims of disasters and calamities with no access to their homes or cooking facilities. Addressing the need for food is an immediate concern for these unfortunate persons.
“Sa panahon ng sakuna, isa sa pinaka mahalaga sa tao ay ang pagkain. Mahalaga ang mga Food Trucks dahil ilalapit na natin ito sa mga naapektuhan. Hindi na nila kailangan lutuin at kakainin nalang nila ito. May mga volunteer chefs at nutrionist din ang Red Cross upang masiguradong ligtas, masustansya, at masarap ang mga pagkain na ibabahagi sa affected communities,” Sen. Dick Gordon said.
PRC’s Food truck has played a vital role in emergency responses through hot meals distribution in evacuation centers, making it one of the first responses by the humanitarian organization to affected communities in times of crisis, disasters, and conflicts.
The hot meals on wheels is just one of the developments seen, as Gordon leads the Philippine Red Cross modernization program.
