Philippine Red Cross | Humanitarian Organization in the Philippines

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman and CEO Richard Gordon ordered the immediate deployment and mobilization of its volunteers and staff to assist the people affected by the 6.3 magnitude earthquake that hits North Cotabato and other nearby areas in Mindanao on October 16, 2019, Wednesday.

“Ang PRC ay nananatiling alerto matapos yanigin ng malakas na lindol ang ilang bahagi ng Mindanao partikular ang lalawigan ng Cotabato. We are here to help. We will never leave you”, said Chairman Gordon.

PRC volunteers and staff are continuously assisting the families and individuals who were devastated by the strong quake. Welfare desks and first aid stations were set up to evacuation centers. A total of 23 patients were catered by PRC, 15 from South Cotabato, 5 from Davao del Sur, 1 from North Cotabato, and 2 from General Santos. Twelve (12) people were administered with first aid due to difficulty of breathing, dizziness, wounds, leg cramps and panic attack.

In Kidapawan, 151 were assisted and 6 (six) were transported to health facilities due to asthma, back pain and panic attack. Psychosocial support were given to 145 individuals in Davao del Sur. Hotmeals were also served to 514 people. Food items were distributed to 51 individuals, sleeping kits to 51 families and four (4) liters of bottled water were given to each of the 46 families in Davao del Sur.

Three (3) ambulances were deployed to North Cotabato, South Cotabato, and Davao Del Sur. Two (2) WASH hubs were activated in General Santos City and Davao City and hygiene promotion conducted to 35 individuals in Davao del Sur.

There were recorded 606 aftershocks (plotted, 298, felt, 24) as of October 19, 2019.

PRC reminds people to take earthquake drills seriously to avoid a large number of casualties during earthquakes.

Senator Richard J. Gordon, Chairman and CEO of the Philippine Red Cross, instructed all Red Cross chapters to coordinate with the Department of Health (DOH) and local health officials and provide full support of volunteers for mass immunization with oral polio vaccine.

This is in response to DOH’s declaration of a polio outbreak in the country, after a 19-year absence of the said poliovirus.

Gordon mobilized the PRC’s 143 volunteers to update the list of all 0-5 -year old children and get their vaccination status and identify the barangay with highest risk based on low vaccination coverage, presence of migrants with unknown vaccination status, and, areas without toilets and limited running water.

“Let’s be vigilant in fighting polio. This is a very dangerous disease that can cause irreversible paralysis. People should not forgo immunization because it is a proven tool for controlling and even eradicating infectious diseases,” said Gordon.

At the same time, the PRC embarked on a massive information campaign against polio reminding mothers to have their children vaccinated for all vaccine preventable diseases in the expanded program of immunization, to boil water, not to defecate in open spaces, and to always wash hands.

“Street food and restaurants need to serve food that is hot, and tighten up food safety regulations and monitoring,” said Gordon.

Poliomyelitis is an infectious disease caused by poliovirus. It is a highly contagious illness that can be transmitted from person to person, through a fecal to mouth route and also throughfood and water contaminated by the virus. Fever, fatigue, headache, stiffness in the neck, vomiting and pain in the limbs are the usual signs and symptoms of an infected person.