Philippine Red Cross

PHILIPPINE RED CROSS CONTINUES TO DISTRIBUTE HOT MEALS IN TAAL VOLCANIC ERUPTION EVACUATION CENTERS

Written on March 30, 2022. Posted in News and Events. Leave a Comment

philippine red cross taal eruption operations

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Hot Meals on Wheels distributed hot meals to 233 evacuees in Coral na Munti Elementary School in Agoncillo, Batangas and to 330 evacuees in As-Is Elementary School, Laurel Batangas last March 28, 2022. Since the volcano erupted this year, PRC has distributed hot meals to 1,213 persons. PRC Chairman and CEO, Senator Dick Gordon, has directed PRC’s staff and volunteers to continue its response while the danger zone around Taal Volcano is on alert.

Two PRC emergency medical services, or ambulance, units are on standby, ready to assist in case of medical emergencies. The welfare desks and first aid stations in Coral na Munti Elementary School and As-Is Elementary School are also maintaining their posts. Last March 29, PRC staff attended the regional inter-agency meeting on issues and concerns relating to the 2022 national and local elections in areas under alert Level 3 due to the Taal Volcano eruption.

As of March 29, 788 families, or 2,832 individuals, have sought shelter in 17 Evacuation Centers (EC) located in different towns such as Laurel: 9 ECs with 364 families, or 1,277 individuals; Agoncillo: 5 ECs with 298 families, or 1,088 individuals; Alitagtag: one EC with 13 families, or 44 individuals; Cuenca: one EC with 4 families, or 17 individuals; San Luis: one EC with one family, or 4 individuals.

“Ang Red Cross staff at volunteers sa bawat chapter namin ay nakahanda para rumesponde sa ganitong mga insidente,” Chairman Gordon said. PRC also responded throughout the last Taal volcanic eruption in 2020.

Philippine Red Cross Administers More Than 30,000 Doses of COVID-19 Vaccines in Bohol

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

Philippine Red Cross Covid-19 Vaccination

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC), in partnership with local governments, has administered more than 30,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines and boosters in Bohol from 2021 to 2022. It has fully vaccinated 5,501 persons as of March 28, 2022.

The vaccinations are part of the PRC’s COVID-19 response throughout the country. As of March 28, 2022, PRC has administered 1,115,101 doses of COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. It has fully vaccinated 361,790 persons. Other PRC vaccination sites in Visayas include Negros Occidental-Bacolod City, Capiz. Aklan, Bogo, and Roxas City.

The Department of Health reports on its website Dashboard that 63,992,620 complete doses have been administered in the whole country as of March 9, 2022. The figure represents 59% of the total population of the Philippines of 109,035,343 as of May 1, 2020.

“Ang Philippine Red Cross ay hindi tumitigil na labanan ang COVID-19,” PRC Chairman and CEO, Senator Dick Gordon, said.

PEZA Gives RED CROSS Chairman Sen. Dick Gordon Excellence Award

Written on March 28, 2022. Posted in Features.

PEZA gives Red Cross Chairman Excellence Award

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 National Blood Services serves more than 40,000 patients in less than 3 months

Written on March 28, 2022. Posted in News and Events.

Philippine Red Cross Blood Doantio nDrive

From January 1 to March 21, 2022 alone, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) National Blood Services has served more than 40,000 patients. It collected 36,086 units from 49,033 donors and dispensed 75,496 blood units for the same period.

Just how important is a blood bank to a country? If you or a loved one has ever needed a blood transfusion, you know how important it is. Blood transfusions save lives. According to the World Health Organization, providing safe and adequate blood should be an integral part of every country’s national health care policy and infrastructure.

The PRC’s National Blood Services is a vital part of this infrastructure. It is the PRC’s arm that delivers adequate, safe, and quality blood supply to the most vulnerable.

Through the leadership of its Chairman and CEO, Senator Dick Gordon, the PRC now has 98 blood service facilities nationwide, making it the leading provider of blood and blood products in the country. The PRC continually promotes voluntary non-remunerated blood donations to maintain an adequate supply. “Para maging handa tayo sa anumang insidente, kailangang may sapat tayong suplay ng dugo,” Chairman Gordon said.

GORDON WARNS OF A POSSIBLE SURGE: URGES THE PUBLIC TO GET VACCINATED AND TESTED REGULARLY

Written on March 28, 2022. Posted in News and Events.

dick gordon looks on as a patient is vaccinated at the PRC Bakuna Bus

Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman and CEO Sen. Dick Gordon urged the public to get tested regularly for early detection to prevent transmission and to also get vaccinated or receive booster shots for added protection. Gordon also said that PRC is prepared for any possibility of a surge since there are PRC Molecular Laboratories, Bakuna Centers, Bakuna Buses, Isolation Facilities, and Emergency Field Hospitals available 24/7.

“Tumataas ang kaso ng COVID-19 cases sa ibang bansa, we must be ready for any possible surge. We must prevent it through practicing health and safety protocols, social distancing, sanitizing your hands, getting vaccinated, and being tested regularly for early protection,” Gordon said.

Through PRC’s 14 molecular laboratories, anyone can get tested and avail of the cheapest RT-PCR test in the country priced at only P1,500 for the saliva RT-PCR test and just P2,800 for the swab RT-PCR test. The saliva and swab RT-PCR tests are considered the gold standard for COVID-19 testing.

PRC also continues to deploy its Bakuna Buses to remote areas and has a continuous operations program for their Bakuna Centers to inoculate unvaccinated individuals and provide additional protection through booster shots. To date, PRC has already conducted 5,515,453 tests and administered 1,104,478 doses of Covid-19 vaccines.

PRC has also turned unused classrooms into isolation facilities to accommodate asymptomatic spreaders. There are also PRC emergency field hospitals to serve as extension wards for other hospitals to accommodate any overflow of COVID-19 patients. The initiative of the Red Cross was started last April 2021, to provide assistance to the overwhelmed healthcare system in the country due to the increasing number of COVID-19 positive individuals at that time. Since then, PRC has cared for 5,176 individuals in the isolation facilities and 65,856 individuals in the emergency field hospitals and medical tents.

PRC CELEBRATES WORLD WATER DAY 2022

Written on March 22, 2022. Posted in News and Events.

Philippine Red Cross celebrates World Water Day

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) celebrates World Water Day (WWD) 2022 to raise awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water. WWD is about taking action to tackle the global water crisis and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6: Water and sanitation for all by 2030. It is one of 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015.

WWD has been celebrated annually since 1993 after the United Nations (UN) Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 1992 chose the date March 22 as World Water Day. Every year, the UN selects a specific theme for the WWD to reflect different aspects of water. This international event looks to draw the attention of people from around the world to the importance of water resources, especially freshwater, and help enhance the sustainable management of these valuable resources. The theme of WWD 2022 is Ground Water, Making the Invisible, Visible. Beyond the issues of pricing, this topic includes the environmental, social, and cultural value placed on the water.

PRC Chairman and CEO Sen. Dick Gordon highlight the importance of providing access to safe water, especially in those areas affected by the different calamities and disasters.

“As we celebrate World Water Day 2022, I would like to emphasize the importance of freshwater, where we use it in supporting drinking water supplies, sanitation systems, farming, industry, and ecosystems. We must protect groundwater from pollution and use it sustainably, balancing the needs of people and the vital role of groundwater in our daily lives.”

PRC has been active in providing water to disaster-affected areas to bring back the lifelines in the provinces where people still do not have access to clean and potable water. Recently, during the Typhoon Odette operations, PRC provided over 14 million liters of clean water and promoted proper hygiene to 239,526 individuals.

The WASH Unit of the Philippine Red Cross is an office that provides services associated with addressing the need for access to clean and safe water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene education during an emergency and non-emergency responses.

Red Cross intensifies counter-dengue ops with more tents, blood supplies

Written on August 13, 2019. Posted in News and Events. Leave a Comment

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) shows no letup in addressing the dengue crisis as it deployed more medical tents and blood products to support communities with a high number of dengue cases.

Under the leadership of Chairman Richard Gordon, PRC has treated 1,055 patients through its eight emergency medical tents that serve as extension wards and fast lanes in Iloilo, Capiz, and Aklan.

The medical tents are installed at most overcrowded hospitals namely Balasan District Hospital, Sara District Hospital and Guimbal District Hospital in Iloilo; Tapaz District Hospital and Bailan District Hospital in Capiz; and Aklan Provincial Hospital.

PRC recently opened a 60-bed medical tent at the Pagamutang Bayan ng Dasmarinas in the Province of Cavite, where 3,277 dengue cases have been recorded.

“Tens of thousands of patients continue streaming into overcrowded hospital. All hands are on deck to address this deadly epidemic. We set up medical tents, augment the blood supply in most affected provinces, and put our ambulances on standby,” Gordon said.

Gordon also assured that PRC, with the support of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, remains on full alert to supply the blood needs amid the declaration of a national epidemic.

As of August 8, PRC has supplied 330 units of blood supplies to over a hundred patients with hemorrhagic complications from Iloilo and Aklan.

On Wednesday, PRC National Headquarters sent 85 units of frozen blood products to Tacloban and Palawan after it augment 165 blood units to Iloilo and Aklan.

‘Three-point strategy’

Gordon, who treats the dengue crisis as a “national emergency,” came up with a three-point strategy to address the dengue epidemic—deploy medical tents, maintain the adequacy of blood supply, and mobilize 143 volunteers to conduct cleanup efforts.

PRC maximizes its network of community volunteers through Red Cross 143 and Red Cross Youth programs to track down dengue and conduct clean-up efforts within a 400-meter radius where they are discovered.

“The real solution to dengue is a massive cleanup. The Red Cross is treating it as a national emergency because one dead is already one dead too many,” Gordon said.

PRC: Psychosocial support, water, food among the top needs in quake-hit Itbayat

Written on July 30, 2019. Posted in News and Events. Leave a Comment

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is on the move to help address the immediate needs in Itbayat, Batanes, which experienced successive earthquakes on Saturday.

PRC Chairman Richard Gordon, who led the organization’s response over the weekend, said the organization is focusing on providing psychosocial support, food, water, and temporary shelter for over 2,000 individuals who are displaced in an open ground in front of the municipal hall.

“We are assessing as we are giving. Right now we are focused on their immediate needs, but eventually, we will provide their long-term needs, such as houses,” Gordon said.

He added, “The operations is extra challenging as the remote island of Itbayat is a two-to-three-hour boat ride from Basco and can only be reached using small boats. But this will not slow us down. We are working with different organizations to ensure that aid will be given as fast as possible.”

PRC National Headquarters partnered with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to deploy resources for in-depth assessments.

Among the items deployed are radio equipment, satellite phones, and water purification assets, composed of bladders, treatment units, and storage.

The humanitarian organization also sent thousands of ready-to-eat meals, temporary roofing materials, and water treatment units for the affected population.

‘Trauma’

Initial assessments show that there is a need for welfare and psychosocial support, especially for Ivatans who experienced trauma following the major shakes.

“The ground shaking was traumatic for Ivatans. Our welfare team is there to help people get rid of their trauma,” Gordon added.

PRC welfare teams also provided psychosocial support to injured patients at Basco General Hospital. PRC volunteers also distributed hot meals to 900 individuals on Saturday.

Red Cross assures adequate blood supply amid dengue woes; Iloilo medical tent opens

Written on July 25, 2019. Posted in News and Events. Leave a Comment

AMID THE declaration of dengue outbreak in Iloilo, Aklan, Cavite, Leyte, and South Cotabato, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) assures the public that it has adequate blood supply for dengue patients.

Chairman Richard Gordon said PRC, through its 93 blood service facilities nationwide, is working double-time to ensure the availability of blood supply, especially plasma and cryoprecipitate, which are used to prevent hemorrhagic complications associated with dengue.

“We keep track of the supplies in all our blood facilities in the country. In the event, the blood supply in a specific facility drops to a critical level, we will know immediately which nearby facility can provide additional products,” Gordon said.

PRC National Blood Services recently shipped a total of 165 units of frozen blood products to augment the supply in Iloilo and Aklan.

Aside from blood, PRC is also in the forefront of managing the dengue crisis as it deployed eight sets of emergency medical tents in Western Visayas Region.

PRC set up two of the deployed hospital tents, with a total bed capacity of 40, in Jesus M. Colmenares District Hospital in Balasan, Iloilo, which is currently accommodating over 250 patients against its actual bed capacity of 25.

The medical unit in Balasan has now served to 38 patients. The humanitarian organization is also preparing to set up more medical tents in Aklan, Capiz, and Guimaras.

Data from the Department of Health shows that the dengue crisis has affected 115,986 individuals this year.

“We have started to fill the gaps in the dengue outbreak response, but we have no plans to slow down. Much needs to be done to protect people’s lives. There is a need for a fast and consistent response,” Gordon said.

“Red Cross 143 volunteers are alerted to initiate community cleanup drives. As our eyes and ears on the ground, they are also tasked to report more cases of congestion of hospitals in their areas.”

Red Cross’ Marawi recovery program in full effect; aids 6,000 families

Written on May 22, 2019. Posted in News and Events. Leave a Comment

TWO YEARS after the Marawi siege, the early recovery program of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has enabled over 6,000 displaced families to build new homes and start income-generating activities.

The P30.1-million project, supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), covered household livelihood and shelter repair assistance for a total of 6,014 families from the most affected areas.

“When we help, we don’t just give. It is important that we also empower. When we visited the people of Marawi in 2017, we told them ‘Babangon tayo’ and we remained committed to this mission. Two years after the siege, this commitment has shown results,” PRC Chairman Richard Gordon said.

A total of 2,307 returnees to 16 barangays received P10,000-household livelihood assistance from PRC and ICRC.

PRC’s Post Distribution Monitoring (PDM) report shows the majority of the beneficiaries used the capital for small businesses, such as sari-sari stores, retail shops, and eateries. Others ventured into transportation (tricycle, habal-habal), construction and carpentry, fishing, farming, and casual labor.

The PDM report also shows that 98 percent of the household livelihood assistance recipients’ main income source came from the Red Cross.

The Red Cross also distributed shelter toolkits to 3,792 families, inclusive of 1,385 families from 11 evacuation centers in Lanao Del Sur and Lanao Del Norte and 2,407 households from three Kambalingan barangays.

The shelter materials were used to repair roofs and walls, as well as to expand their houses for livelihood activities.

“We also established our Red Cross 143 program for community volunteers to help us respond to disasters and emergencies quickly. This is how we attain resilience,” Gordon added.

PRC also continues to provide safe and clean water to communities in evacuation centers. Since 2017, 29,514,700 liters of water have been served in 26 barangays and evacuation centers.

In December 2017, the Provincial Government of Lanao del Sur recognized the Red Cross for being one of the first to provide humanitarian assistance.

When the conflict broke out on May 23, 2017, Gordon mobilized the staff and volunteers from the nearby PRC Chapters and immediately deployed first aid, welfare, relief, and hygiene promotion teams.

PRC, with the support of ICRC, also set up a basic healthcare unit to ensure the health of evacuees.

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