The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) opened its 14th PRC molecular laboratory in Cotabato City to further boost PRC testing capacity for COVID-19 on September 18, 2021.
The molecular laboratory is equipped with two polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machines and one ribonucleic acid (RNA) extractor, which can process up to 2,000 tests a day. The new molecular laboratory is in partnership with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and will serve Maguindanao, North Cotabato, South Cotabato and even Davao City.
PRC Chairman and CEO Sen. Dick Gordon, PRC Secretary General Elizabeth Zavalla, PRC Cotabato Chairwoman Bai Fatima P. Sinsuat, Mayor Frances Cynthia J. Guiani-Sayadi and other executives from the Red Cross and local government unit of Cotabato attended the virtual inauguration of the newly built molecular laboratory.
“I would like to thank the International Committee of the Red Cross for this partnership in defeating COVID-19. Sa ngayon ay 200 test per day lamang ang capacity ng Cotabato Regional and Medical Center at sa pamamagitan ng bagong Molecular Laboratory this will further hasten our COVID-19 response and can test up to 2,000 tests per day,” Sen. Dick Gordon said.
Chairman Gordon also emphasized the importance of regular testing to beat this invisible enemy. PRC recently lowered its RT-PCR testing fees for swab and saliva test from 3,800-2,800 and 2,000-1,500 respectively.
PRC also is ramping up vaccination efforts nationwide to get more people vaccinated as soon as possible through the Bakuna centers and PRC bakuna busses having inoculated over 217,808 individuals.
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) responds to Kalinga Road Brgy. Sto. Nino, Paranaque after a 3rd alarm fire broke out on a residential area last September 15, 2021, at 1 in the morning resulting in the casualty of an 87-year-old woman.
PRC immediately deployed a fire truck, an ambulance, with 10 manpower to extinguish a fire that affected 15-20 houses and approximately 30 families.
“The Red Cross is always first, always ready, and always there in the most vulnerable times to alleviate human suffering and uplift human dignity,” PRC Chairman and CEO Sen. Dick Gordon said.
PRC emergency response unit and emergency medical services offer 24/7 service to respond immediately in time of emergency.
Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman and CEO Sen. Dick Gordon had the vision to implement PRC’s vaccination program nationwide in partnership with the different local government units (LGU) and provide access to the vaccination for the most vulnerable.
In line with Sen. Dick Gordon’s vision to hasten the vaccination and beat COVID-19, Chairman Gordon mobilized PRC Iligan City Chapter to open a Bakuna Center at the La Salle Academy Gymnasium and inoculate 1,300 individuals per day.
“We are at war against COVID-19, isa sa ating plano sa Red Cross ay magbigay ng bakuna sa mga nangangailangan. Mas maraming mababakunahan, mas mabilis natin matatalo ang COVID-19, dahil sa tumataas na kaso ng COVID-19, Inaanyayahan ko ang lahat na magpabakuna dahil ito ay ang pinakamabisang paraan upang maiwasan ang severe na kaso,” Sen. Dick Gordon said.
PRC Iligan City Chapter provides volunteer doctors to man the bakuna center and shoulders all operating expenses. PRC is also the first to open a Bakuna center in Mindanao.
Apart from the Bakuna Centers, PRC Iligan Chapter has been very active in assisting the LGU’s covid-19 response.
Due to the rising cases of COVID-19, with 1k active cases reported, PRC Iligan City Chapter augments two medical tents stationed at the Gregorio T. Lluch Memorial Hospital. The medical tent is a 16-bed capacity serving as a triage for the isolation facility of the hospital.
To date, PRC has vaccinated 211,408 individuals in their 16 Bakuna Buses and 20 PRC Bakuna Centers nationwide and will continue to operate and vaccinate more people until everyone is vaccinated.
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) received PHP 5,245,000 million donations from Procter & Gamble to help vaccinate 15,000 vulnerable individuals in 150 communities in CALABARZON through PRC’s Bakuna Bus.
A virtual turnover was held on September 14, 2021, and was virtually attended, by PRC Secretary General Elizabeth Zavalla, P&G President and General Manager Raffy Fajardo, and other executives from PRC and P&G.
P&G is a long-time partner of PRC in fighting the pandemic with the mission to step up as a force for good. P&G, guided by its principles and priorities in providing support to front liners and communities, has been one of the primary focuses at the start of the pandemic.
P&G will provide assistance to PRC’s Bakuna Bus for their operations to inoculate people from the most vulnerable groups. PRC already has 16 mobile vaccination bus and vaccinated over 40,604 individuals. The donations of product and cash support are significant and will continue to increase as P&G works with communities worldwide to support their efforts to help people through this crisis.
“I would like to thank P&G for their generous donation to the Red Cross to help in alleviating human suffering and uplifts the dignity of the people. P&G is a long-time partner of PRC in providing aid to the communities greatly affected by COVID-19 and disaster. May we continue to be partners in helping the most vulnerable as we help them through this crisis,” PRC Chairman and CEO Sen. Dick Gordon said.
P&G recently donated monetary donations responding to disaster and covid-19 operations amounting to over PHP 3,000,000, along with in-kind donations of P&G products.
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is at the forefront in battling COVID-19 through the implementation of the different initiatives at the start of the pandemic, which aims to alleviate human suffering and uplifts the dignity of the people.
PRC staff and volunteers continue to man and operate COVID-19 responses such as Emergency Field Hospital, Medical tents, RT-PCR testing in different molecular laboratories, food trucks, cash assistance, and other programs to help the most vulnerable in this time of the pandemic.
Last September 11, 2021, the Department of Health recorded 26,303 new confirmed cases, the highest one-day tally since the pandemic started.
“Kami sa Philippine Red Cross kasama ang iba’t ibang staff and volunteers ay walang pagod na nilalabanan ang COVID-19. Patuloy ang ating pagtetest at binabaan na natin ang presyo upang makatulong sa ating kababayan, patuloy rin ang pagbabakuna sa ating 16 bakuna bus at 20 bakuna centers upang dumami ang mabakunahan, ang ating mga food trucks ay patuloy ding nag-iikot sa mga bayan na lubos na naapektuhan ng pandemya,” Chairman Gordon said.
PRC has conducted 4,199,910 in its 13 molecular laboratories, served 3,253 patients in the different isolation facilities, catered 34,660 in the emergency field hospitals and medical tents, and provided 80,811 through its hot meals on wheels.
PRC continues to augment additional facilities to hasten our COVID-19 operations and serve more people.
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Cebu Chapter team continues to work round the clock, even on non-working holidays, and provide ready-to-eat meals for the most vulnerable last September 09, 2021.
PRC Cebu chapter under the leadership of Chairman and CEO Sen. Dick Gordon simultaneously deployed two food trucks in Brgy, Inayawan, Cebu, and District hospitals in Sogod and Tuburan, the northern part of Cebu. The food truck served 464 individuals composed of Senior Citizens, Children aged 5-10 yrs old, and medical frontliners.
“The Philippine Red Cross continues to provide humanitarian assistance to those affected by the pandemic. Our Red Cross staff and volunteers work tirelessly, that help will be delivered to the most vulnerable and alleviate human suffering and uplifts the dignity of the people,” Sen. Dick Gordon said.
The mobile kitchen is scheduled to roll out on September 15, 2021, to the local government unit of Naga, Cebu, and provide assistance to the daily wage workers and Aetas, followed by Brgy. Mambaling, Cebu City for 6,000 senior citizens by schedule.
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) will conduct a webinar on suicide prevention for the Bangsamoro Youth in celebration of World Suicide Prevention Day 2021 on September 10.
PRC Red Cross Youth will facilitate the interactive webinar on suicide prevention, in partnership with the Bangsamoro youth commission, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), German Red Cross, Spanish Red Cross, and funded by the European Union.
The webinar will cover a series of topics with Gab Valenciano, a mental health advocate, celebrity, and guest speaker. Gab will talk about the story of hope, while Psychiatrist Dr. Agnes Casino will tackle suicide prevention and response, and Social Worker Predinson Morales will discuss dealing with distressed individuals.
“We need to focus and give assistance to the mental health of our youth Muslim brothers and sisters in the BARMM region. Some of them don’t have access, so we in the Red Cross will conduct a webinar for mental health support,” PRC Chairman and CEO Sen. Dick Gordon said.
Recently PRC conducted a webinar series, as part of the Welfare Services peace and development project to reduce the impact of the covid-19 pandemic and foster the public health system and socioeconomic development in BARMM last Aug 2021.
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) started to roll out its bakuna bus last September 06, 2021, in Isabela province, a total of 800 individuals were vaccinated and received their first dose, which was made possible through the PRC mobile vaccine.
PRC Bakuna Bus was initiated by PRC Chairman and CEO Sen. Dick Gordon and conducted its first deployment during the vaccination of children against polio, measles-rubella. In this time of the pandemic, Sen. Gordon again initiated to convert buses from Victory Liner, Ube Express, and Ceres bus to a mobile vaccination clinic to inoculate more people in far-flung areas.
Sen. Gordon quickly mobilized the PRC Isabela chapter to spearhead the vaccination initiative in Isabela, having administered 478 doses in Tumauini Community Center, 186 in Lanna Community Center, and 135 in Fugu Sur Community Center. These areas are identified through the PGI-IHPO as high risked areas of Tumaini, Cabagan City of Ilagan and Cauayan City.
“Nagawa natin ito noong pagbabakuna kontra polio at measles. Magagawa din natin kontra COVID-19. Through these bakuna buses, we will be able to reach areas where help is needed. We need to do it fast to beat the invisible enemy,” Sen. Dick Gordon said.
PRC Isabela Chapter also conducted livelihood programs for 450 families greatly affected by COVID-19. PRC provided 10,000 cash assistance to help the local community farmers, and other residents jumpstart their lives and get back on their feet.
“Dignity is what we give to these people. This assistance will help them stand up on their feet and go on with their lives,” Sen. Gordon added.
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) continuous to test and vaccinate individuals amid typhoon Jolina, placing the National Capital Region at signal #2.
PRC Bakuna Centers, Bakuna Bus, Isolation Facilities, and Emergency Field Hospital will remain operational to accept patients needing immediate healthcare. According to PRC Chairman and CEO Sen. Dick Gordon that continuous testing and vaccination for our fellow Filipinos are our number one protection against COVID-19.
“Patuloy ang pagbibigay serbisyo ng Philippine Red Cross sa ating mga kababayan kahit na may bagyo. We need to move and act fast in order to defeat the invisible enemy, “Gordon said.
PRC also mobilized its staff and volunteers from different chapters to conduct assessment and provide assistance in their area of responsibility in case of flooding particularly those in flood prone areas.
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) set up an emergency tent last April 2021, after reports of patients dying outside the hospital premises during the COVID-19 surge that led to the hospital exceeding the critical level of 70% of new COVID-19 cases in the national capital region.
PRC Chairman and CEO Sen. Dick Gordon immediately deployed an emergency field hospital at the Lung Center of the Philippines and National Kidney Transplant Institute to serve as an extension ward to the hospitals, catering to mild to moderate COVID-19 cases.
“We are in a war situation against COVID-19. The health care system in the NCR plus region is challenged due to the increasing cases of Covid-positive individuals. Through the emergency field hospitals of the Red Cross, this will help serve more patients needing immediate health care,” according to Chairman Gordon.
PRC has deployed 108 tents in total, having served more than 32,194 patients needing immediate healthcare.
According to Sen. Dick Gordon, these emergency tents are equipped with medical equipment such as oxygen tanks, ECG machine, PPV and Intubation set, Automated External Defibrillator, and other basic ward facilities that make PRC be always ready in every situation where help is needed.
