Philippine Red Cross | Humanitarian Organization in the Philippines

On June 21, 2022, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Operations Center (OpCen) at National Headquarters received a fire alarm call at 3:53 PM regarding an ongoing fire at Purok 1, Barangay Andili, in Mawab, Davao de Oro. Immediately upon receipt of the call, OpCen had the local Davao PRC Chapter emergency personnel check on the situation while an ambulance unit arrived on site to provide medical assistance to victims in need of such.

More than 52 families with 162 individuals were affected by the fire that raged for more than five hours in a residential and commercial area, reaching the second alarm. It was allegedly caused by an unattended rice cooker. As the fire was finally put under control at 9pm, PRC planned deployment of its food trucks to provide hot meals prepared by PRC’s Welfare Services Team to those affected.

“Patuloy ang paghahatid ng pag-asa ng Red Cross sa mga labis na naapektuhan ng sunog kahit sa Davao de Oro. Laging handang tumulong ang PRC sa pangangailangan, alinsunod sa aming layunin na maging laging una, laging handa, at laging nandyan para sa ating mga kababayan,” PRC Chairman and CEO Richard J. Gordon said.

The local PRC Chapter deployed an ambulance with a 3 man team that assessed the situation at the evacuation Center where a First Aid station and Welfare desk with 2 trained personnel was set up. Six large tents were then installed at the Barangay Andili Gymnasium in Mawab as temporary shelter for the affected families. The PRC Activity Plan schedule is to continue to have a Welfare desk set-up, to conduct a Hygiene Promotion briefing with hygiene kits being distributed after and to conduct psychosocial support for all the families concerned.

PRC resources such as fire trucks, ambulance units, food trucks, and specially trained emergency personnel are part of its national rescue and relief teams serving emergency needs all over the country.

Gordon said, “Laging handang tumulong ang Philippine Red Cross sa mga fire emergencies kahit saan naganap. Agad nating ipinadala ang ating resources upang mabilis ang pag-rescue at tulong. Mag-iingat din tayo dahil marami and nangyayaring sunog sa ngayon kahit nag-umpisa na ang tag-ulan. Fire Safety begins at home – identify fire hazards and plan out evacuation measures in case of fire to uphold the safety of everyone.”