Philippine Red Cross

Gordon deploys Bakuna Bus in Zamboanga City

Written on May 5, 2022. Posted in News and Events.

Supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman and CEO Sen. Dick Gordon ordered the quick deployment of Bakuna Bus to help the government in its vaccination program in Zamboanga City last May 2, 2022.

“Patuloy na maglilingkod ang PRC para sa mga kapatid natin sa Zamboanga City at iba pang karatig probinsiya dito sa Mindanao. Sa katunayan, walang humpay ang deployment ng ating Bakuna Buses upang makamit natin ang herd immunity sa lalong madaling panahon. Taos-pusong pasasalamat sa ICRC para sa agarang tulong upang maisakatuparan natin ang ganitong gawain,” Sen. Gordon said.

Since the pilot deployment in Mindanao on April 14, 2022, the PRC Bakuna Buses have already served around 1,000 individuals, including those in Manolo, Fortich, and Impasug-ong, Bukidnon and Malalag, Kiblawan, and Hagonoy, Davao del Sur.

The PRC, aiming to provide an efficient mobile COVID-19 vaccination program, designed every Bakuna Bus’s interior with facilities following the vaccine administration protocols, COVID-19 vaccines and other supplies, and space for vaccinators, volunteers, and staff. Besides administering COVID-19 vaccines through these Bakuna Buses, the PRC aimed to educate its target communities in Mindanao about the importance of participating in the organization’s vaccination programs to achieve herd immunity amidst the pandemic.

The PRC has recorded 1,158,745 vaccination doses with 20 Bakuna Buses deployed in different areas in the Philippines.

Philippine Red Cross Laguna Chapter opens new branch in Siniloan

Written on May 2, 2022. Posted in Features, News and Events. Leave a Comment

In efforts to reach more people in need and to offer reliable help, Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and PRC Chairman and CEO Senator Richard ‘Dick’ J. Gordon welcomed a new branch of the Laguna Chapter in the multipurpose building of Barangay Wawa, Siniloan, Laguna on April 29. In attendance at the opening ceremony were Chapter Administrator Frank Gray Sorromero and members of the Laguna Chapter Board of Directors. The establishment of the PRC branch in Siniloan was made possible through the support of Mayor Rainier Leopando, whom Senator Gordon acknowledged in his speech.

Senator Gordon reminded the audience members at the opening ceremony that PRC is not a government entity, that volunteers compose it, that they do it without a salary, to uplift human dignity and alleviate human suffering. He lauded Red Cross volunteers for their leadership shown through action.

He emphasized the importance of “pagmamalasakit,” or compassion, which he and the PRC have stood for since its founding in 1947. He cited the Republic of Korea’s donation of a water tanker to the PRC and PRC’s assistance to other nations, like Ukraine. He also referred to the PRC’s contribution to the RT-PCR testing for Covid-19 in the Philippines; the PRC has conducted more than 5.5 million tests.

Senator Gordon also emphasized that even though the Red Cross helps the people, it is not about just giving away provisions but about empowering people. He says that as a leader, his goal is to strengthen people’s abilities. “Tumutulong tayo para may dangal at dignidad tayo,” Senator Gordon said.

Philippine Red Cross Responds to UP Diliman Blaze

Written on May 2, 2022. Posted in News and Events. Leave a Comment

A blaze of fire and smoke broke out on the first Monday of May at a residential area within the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman Campus, and the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) was quick to respond to the affected area.

The PRC Chairman, Senator Dick Gordon, immediately directed the PRC Operations Center to deploy PRC’s firefighters and emergency medical services team to Village A of the UP compound in Quezon City as reports of fire started coming in around 5:20 in the morning of May 2, 2022.

The Red Cross quickly dispatched one fire truck with four trained firefighters and one ambulance unit with three emergency medical responders.

The local fire bureau estimates that about 80 houses were damaged, with about 250 families affected. The families who lost their homes were evacuated to temporary shelters at the Village A and B covered court.

Red Cross teams are currently conducting assessments and will be deploying its food trucks to provide hot meals to the affected families.

“Napakahalaga ng emergency response unit at emergency medical services sa mga komunidad. Ang Red Cross ay laging handa para rumesponde sa mga kalamidad katulad ng sunog,” Chairman Gordon said.

Philippine Red Cross grants multipurpose cash assistance to people affected by TS Agaton in Capiz

Written on May 2, 2022. Posted in News and Events. Leave a Comment

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) granted much-needed cash assistance to 333 families affected by Tropical Storm Agaton in Barangays Ambilay, Cabugao, and Cabangahan in the municipality of Panitan, Capiz. The tropical storm caused flooding and landslides in four cities and 77 municipalities across the country in April.

The PRC intends the cash grant of Php5,000.00 per family, or Php1,665,000.00, to be multipurpose, which means it should help meet whatever the beneficiaries’ needs are. The cash grant is part of the Forecast-Based Financing Project, a partnership among the Philippine Red Cross, the German Red Cross, and the Finnish Red Cross.

PRC Board of Governors member Francis Joseph J. Jalandoni, together with 72 volunteers and staff from various PRC services and teams, took charge of the relief operations. Fifteen members of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team and six police officers ensured peace and order during the event.

PRC Chairman and CEO Senator Richard ‘Dick’ J. Gordon reassured those who were made vulnerable by TS Agaton that the Red Cross will continue to provide assistance until they are able to recover. “Gaya ng dati, nandito ang Red Cross para alalayan ang ating mga kababayan hanggang sa sila ay maka-recover,” Chairman Gordon said.

From April 7 to May 1, the PRC also served hot meals to 13,548 individuals and distributed 621,760 liters of water to populations affected by TS Agaton in Davao de Oro, Davao Oriental, General Santos City, Hilongos, Iloilo, Leyte, Maguindanao, Negros Occidental, Ormoc, Passi City, Sorsogon, Southern Leyte, and Surigao del Norte. It gave food items to 1,333 families and psychosocial first aid to 757 adults and 371 children. Its emergency response unit helped evacuate 67 individuals and rescued another 99. PRC volunteers and staff provided emergency medical services, hygiene education, and PPEs. They also helped some local government units in distributing their relief items.

Philippine Red Cross responds to 315 motorcycle riders figuring in road accidents from January to April this year

Written on April 29, 2022. Posted in News and Events.

motorcycle rider treated for his wounds by Red Cross EMS Team

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) emergency medical services (EMS) responded to 315 motorcycle riders who figured in an accident from January to April this year, 101 of whom were in Metro Manila. Two hundred fifty of the patients were transported to hospitals, while 65 were treated by emergency medical technicians. The safety of motorcycle riders is one of the advocacies of the PRC, under the leadership of its chairman and CEO, Senator Richard “Dick” J. Gordon, who led the transformation of PRC’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) from a “one and a half ambulance vehicle” operation into what it is today.

Ang Red Cross ay laging handang rumesponde sa ating mga kababayan sa kanilang medical emergency,” Chairman Gordon said. The PRC EMS consisted of one ambulance vehicle that was in good working condition and one that worked only half the time when Gordon became chairman in 2004.

Today, PRC has EMS units across its chapters throughout the country.

The PRC EMS deploys emergency medical services units, which consist of emergency medical technicians on board ambulance vehicles, to provide on-scene patient care and treatment and transport to medical facilities. From January to April this year, the PRC EMS has responded to 2,579 incidents, 2,094 of which were free, while 485 were paid. These responses involved 3,435 patients, of whom 1,420 were transported. Of those who were transported, 1,118 availed of the service for free, while 302 opted to pay.

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1.3 million people die each year as a result of road traffic accidents. It added that 20 to 50 million persons more are injured, with some acquiring disability.

Philippine Red Cross starts administering second Covid-19 booster shots to the elderly, immunocompromised

Written on April 28, 2022. Posted in Features, News and Events. Leave a Comment

Diabetes patient Nicanor Viray, 85 years old, gets his Covid-19 second booster shot at the Philippine Red Cross.

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) started administering second booster shots of Covid-19 vaccines today, April 27, 2022, in Mandaluyong City, to the elderly and the immunocompromised. The Philippines’ Department of Health announced last April 13, 2022 that the Food and Drug Administration has approved the administration of Covid-19 second booster shots to the elderly, the immunocompromised, and frontline health workers.

PRC Chairman and CEO, Senator Richard “Dick” J. Gordon, advised the immunocompromised who are fully vaccinated and have the first booster shot to get the second booster shot if the required time interval has lapsed. “Hinihikayat ko ang ating mga kababayan na immunocompromised na fully vaccinated at may first booster shot na kumuha ng second booster shot sa akmang panahon,” Chairman Gordon said.

The spouses Ninfa and Nicanor Viray, who are both elderly and immunocompromised, had their second booster shots at the PRC today. Ms. Viray, 84 years old, is a cancer patient who just had a mastectomy. Mr. Viray, 85 years old, is a diabetes patient. They both had their first booster in December 2021. The second booster shot against Covid-19 is given at

least four months after the first booster shot, but the interval could be earlier for other patients if prescribed by a doctor.

“That we’ll be more protected from more severe symptoms owing to our age. We’d like to be as protected as possible, considering that sometimes we are also compelled to go out of the house to buy some basic needs,” was Ms. Viray’s answer when asked what she hoped the second booster shot would do. She added that getting the second booster shot is part of their taking care of themselves, because their decisions about their health affect the rest of the family.

When asked how they would encourage other members of the elderly population to get vaccinated, Ms. Viray says she would show them how she and her husband have relative capacity to still enjoy life, because they can be mobile and interact with people with confidence despite their advanced years. Mr. Viray shares that his style is personal; he talks to his friends about the benefits of getting vaccinated.

Ms. Viray says they try to observe all the health protocols as much as possible, because they don’t want to abuse the new lease on life they are enjoying because of the protection that the vaccines give. Mr. Viray attests that since he got vaccinated, he has felt more assured that he is protected. The couple is keen on doing their share in educating the community about the collective nature and solution to the Covid-19 public health emergency.

The PRC’s vaccination efforts are part of its mandate as auxiliary to the government in its humanitarian tasks. The PRC started administering Covid-19 vaccines in March 2021. To date, it has administered 1,153,200 doses of Covid-19 vaccines and boosters through its Bakuna Centers, Bakuna Teams, and Bakuna Buses nationwide. It has fully vaccinated 367,985 individuals.

Philippine Red Cross to the Rescue At Bridge Catastrophe in Bohol

Written on April 28, 2022. Posted in News and Events. Leave a Comment

At approximately 4:30 pm on April 27, 2022, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman and CEO Richard J. Gordon was apprised of the collapse of the Clarin Bridge in Loay, Bohol. Aware that time is of the essence in these situations, Chairman Gordon immediately dispatched a fully trained and equipped PRC Water Search and Rescue (WASAR) team and a five-member Emergency Medical Services (EMS) crew to the site of the collapsed bridge. The personnel involved are part of the rescue and relief component of the PRC Bohol Chapter. In addition, Chairman Gordon placed two PRC Cebu Chapter EMS groups of eight trained medical staff on standby, ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice.

“Kahit kelan, laging handang tumulong ang Philippine Red Cross sa mga nangangailangan. Agad natin ipinadala and ating rescue teams upang mabilis ang pag-rescue, para makatulong at makaligtas ng buhay,” Sen. Gordon said.

The old Clarin bridge in Loay is located 22.7 kilometers from Bohol’s capital of Tagbilaran and had previously sustained damage from a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that occurred in 2013. Initial reports from the office of Bohol Governor Arthur Yap implied that the tragedy was due to stationary traffic causing an overload of vehicles. Among several cargo vehicles was a dump truck loaded with gravel and sand. When it reached the middle of the bridge, the collapse began, quickly pulling vehicles at the front and back of the dump truck into the deep waters of the Loboc River below.

Local ambulance vehicles and military and police personnel were deployed to the area as well, all waiting for additional information from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office to see if they were needed to assist in the search and rescue operation.

The rescue operation concluded at 11:30 pm when rains began, hindering further efforts. The rescue divers experienced zero visibility, while strong underwater currents hampered more attempts. Search and rescue operations and salvage work to retrieve 12 vehicles in the deep waters are scheduled to resume again at 8:00 am on Thursday, April 28. An estimated 30 survivors were treated for injuries after being rescued.

Philippine Red Cross continues to support Baybay City’s TS Agaton response

Written on April 25, 2022. Posted in News and Events.

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman and CEO, Senator Richard “Dick” J. Gordon, directed the PRC team in Baybay City, Leyte, to continue its support for the local government in its Tropical Storm (TS) Agaton response. Senator Gordon’s directive came 13 days after the first PRC search and rescue team arrived in the city and started rescue and relief operations in the area. The PRC Emergency Response Unit (ERU) continued to work alongside the city’s own emergency response unit in retrieval operations in landslide-affected Barangay Kantagnos.

Also yesterday, the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) team distributed 23,300 liters of water: 11,300 in Baybay National High School, 6,500 in Barangay Hipusngo, 1,200 in Zone 14, and 4,300 in Zone 18. The PRC response team in Baybay regularly coordinates with the city government to guide its actions.

To ensure implementation of his directives, Senator Gordon continues to monitor the situation in Baybay and other TS Agaton-affected areas. He assured the affected residents that the Philippine Red Cross “will be here for the long haul, as usual.”

On April 11, after multiple landslides were reported in Leyte due to heavy rains brought by Tropical Storm (TS) Agaton, PRC sent a search and rescue team to assist the local government of Baybay City. On April 12, a PRC humanitarian caravan, composed of a water tanker, an ambulance, and a mobile kitchen arrived in Baybay. Two more teams were added afterward, to reinforce the ambulance services and help provide welfare services, such as distributing hot meals and providing psychosocial first aid.

Philippine Red Cross recognizes partners in Caloocan City Chapter

Written on April 25, 2022. Posted in News and Events.

On the occasion of the Philippine Red Cross’ (PRC) 75th anniversary, the PRC Caloocan City Chapter recognized more than 100 volunteers and individual partners and 80 partner organizations in humanitarian response last April 23, 2022, Saturday, in a Recognition Day ceremony at Victory Mall in Caloocan City. 36 tablets were also distributed to 36 beneficiary students during the recognition ceremony. The gadgets were from the Gadget Pantry Project, through the sponsorship of the charity organization HERD.

PRC Chairman and CEO, Senator Richard “Dick” Gordon, lauds and thanks the awardees and honorees for being part of PRC’s mantra of “Volunteers + Logistics + Information Technology = A Red Cross that is Always First, Always Ready, Always There.”

Volunteers received awards for their dedication in providing their services, especially in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Among the volunteers are community-based men and women and boys and girls who give their time, resources, and energy to ensure the success of PRC’s health and other campaigns in the barangays and work alongside PRC staff to respond to emergencies and calamities. Nursing students who volunteer their skills and time in community-based health programs and as emergency medical services on-the-job trainees were also recognized.

Three barangay captains and four barangays were commended for their consistency in partnering with the PRC to respond to emergencies and calamities in their barangays. Another government entity whose partnership was celebrated by PRC was the 6th Mobile Force Company of the Philippine National Police. Socio-civic clubs or fraternities such as Tau Gamma Phi chapters, Rotary Clubs, and Eagles’ Clubs, and the Metropolitan Bible Baptist Church were also extolled. Community-based associations, professionals’ organizations, student governments, schools, and business entities were cited for their contribution of their time, talent, and resources.

On TS Agaton: Long-term plan needed to ensure people have choices – Gordon

Written on April 18, 2022. Posted in Features, News and Events.

In an interview with ABC Australia on Tropical Storm Agaton (international name: Megi) last April 13, 2022, via Skype, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman and CEO, Senator Richard “Dick” Gordon emphasized the need for a long-term plan to make sure people have the option to live in safe areas and not in dangerous ones, such as at the foot of mountains or near oceans. “There has to be a long-term plan, a big sit-down to ensure every province can make some alternatives for the people,” Chairman Gordon said.

This is the policy change Gordon wishes to see after the elections, he said when asked whether the campaign season has affected the Philippines’ assistance to areas hit by Agaton. He explained that the country will alleviate human suffering by making sure it prevents it by predicting the areas that are prone to disasters and adopting appropriate policies.

The Chairman has been an advocate of a national policy to move people living in dangerous areas to safer places. PRC built homes in a safer place for the survivors of the 2006 landslide in Barangay Guinsaugon, Saint Bernard town in Southern Leyte, which killed around 2,000 people. PRC also built or repaired homes for survivors of Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan), which caused ocean surges as high as six meters and devastated the Eastern Visayas region in 2013. Overall, the PRC has built or repaired 80,000 homes for survivors of calamities in Eastern Visayas.

Chairman Gordon swore that the Red Cross will be helping populations affected by TS Agaton in the long run, as it usually does for survivors of calamities. “The Red Cross will be here for the long haul, as usual,” Chairman Gordon said. He mentioned that the PRC is still assisting survivors of Super Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai), which made landfall on Christmas eve of 2021.

Gordon mentioned some preparedness measures that can be adopted, such as having whistles to call for help during calamities, identifying high-risk areas and moving people, and training people especially for landslides. He highlighted the importance of having pre-positioned people and logistics in the regions, such as sirens, flares, pickax, shovel, payloader, torch and other lighting devices that can be used even at night.

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