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MANDALUYONG, METRO MANILA –  Volunteers and staff of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) continue to aid families affected by the low pressure area (LPA) and the shearline that brought incessant rains over the weekend in the eastern sections of Visayas and Luzon.

The PRC – Northern Samar Chapter served hot meals to 153 individuals and set up a welfare desk and first aid station at the Polangi Evacuation Center to provide physical and mental medical attention to evacuees. In Quezon Lucena, the PRC’s first aid station monitored the blood pressure of 38 evacuees, while the PRC’s welfare desk provided psychological first aid (PFA) and facilitated child-friendly spaces for over 100 individuals. 

Provision of food, water, PFA, and basic medical care constitute the standard response and rescue efforts of the PRC to reinstate evacuees’ access to essential necessities amid disruptions.

According to PRC Chairman and CEO Dick Gordon, terrains and other areas in the affected regions are susceptible to landslides and mudslides due to the saturated soil caused by heavy rainfall. “Our payloaders are positioned for clearing operations, ensuring continuous assistance to geographically isolated areas,” he added. 

As of writing, there are 12 evacuation centers in Northern Samar, Western Samar, and Masbate housing 1,460 individuals.

The combined forces of a low-pressure area and the shear line, brought incessant rains and fatal floods, and caused humanitarian emergencies in Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. In addition to intense rescue operations and other humanitarian assistance, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) scaled up its food assistance and served hot meals to 8, 434 flood victims in eight hard-hit provinces and municipalities from January 1 to 20: Misamis Occidental – Oroqueita City, Misamis Oriental – Gingoog City, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Lapu-Lapu City, Zamboanga City, Sulu-Jolo, and Northern Samar.

The immediate aftermath of any disaster is disruption of access to food. Displaced families are unable to prepare their food. This threatens the health, nutrition, and well-being of affected communities. The PRC food trucks, provide hot meals within 24 hours of a disaster, seek to address the limited food supply in affected areas.

“Displacement has disrupted the food supply of our kababayans in Visayas, Mindanao, and some parts of Palawan. Our volunteers are mobilized and our food trucks are immediately deployed in affected areas to serve hot meals to affected people, especially children,” Chairman and CEO Richard J. Gordon said.

From January 01 to 20, the PRC Chapters in the affected areas alongside their Welfare teams dispatched four food trucks and served hot meals in the forms of rice, chicken, vegetables, egg, pansit, Arroz caldo, and champorado to displaced children and adults.

PRC likewise prepared its rescue equipment and provided the following additional humanitarian aid to communities affected by shear line-induced rains: 421, 900 liters of clean water, children activities, psychological first aid sessions to 1, 940 individuals, 645 medicines against Leptospirosis, hygiene kits to 464 families, sleeping kits to 612 families, jerry cans to 524 families, and kitchen sets to 546 families.

The Philippine Red Cross, through its Manila Chapter, conducted a feeding program for the most vulnerable senior citizens. Donated meals from Novotel Araneta such as rice, longanisa, hamonado, beef steak, scrambled egg, fish filet, roasted chicken, pansit guisado, and tinapay were served to 38 senior citizen at Barangay 658 Intramuros, Manila on 19 November.

“Ang Philippine Red Cross ay tumutulong sa most vulnerable sa lahat ng pagkakataon hindi lang sa panahon ng sakuna o emergency. Kaya naman lubos akong nagpapasalamat sa Novotel sa walang sawa nilang pakikipagtulungan sa PRC sa pamamahagi ng pagkain sa mga vulnerable nating kababayan,” said PRC Chairman and CEO Richard J. Gordon.

Novotel Araneta is a long-time food donor of the PRC. During his first term as a senator in 2009, Chairman Gordon authored the Republic Act No. 9803 (RA9803) or the Food Donation Act of 2009, which aims to address the country’s growing hunger problem and bring dignity back to the most vulnerable simultaneously. Under this law, donors are encouraged to donate food for charitable purposes and to reduce food wastage. Chairman Gordon explained that the donors give untouched food from buffet tables, not leftover food.

PRC volunteers and staff bring the donated nutritious food to the homeless, children in poor communities, the elderly, abandoned prisoners, the sick, and other vulnerable groups.

Days after Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae) exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), the trail of massive flooding, rain-induced landslides, and displacement it left across vast areas of the country has affected over two million individuals or 510, 222 families. STS Paeng caused damage to livelihood and disrupted food and water supplies. The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has been sending its fleet of food trucks to vulnerable communities in hard-hit areas to alleviate hunger and reduce the food security concerns of affected families.

“The nutrition of people in areas hardest hit by Paeng could be affected because the access to food and safe water in typhoon-affected towns and cities is usually disrupted. We at Philippine Red Cross (PRC) will continue boosting our efforts to address the nutrition needs of our kababayans in vulnerable situations,” said PRC Chairman and CEO Richard J. Gordon.

As of 04 November, PRC has served hot meals to 28,029 individuals in cities and towns affected by STS Paeng: Maguindanao, Zamboanga, Tawi-Tawi, Aklan, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, IloIlo, Northern Samar, Antique, Cebu, Masbate, Romblon, Palawan, Bataan, Cagayan, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Batangas, Catanduanes, Laguna, Zambales, Aurora, Pangasinan, Kalinga, Quezon, Nueva Viscaya, Marinduque, Isabela, Bulacan, Manila, Marikina, Rizal, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, and Pasig-Pateros. PRC also distributed 2,499 bottled water in Cagayan.

Meanwhile, Gardenia Bakeries, a long-time food donor of PRC, donated bread loaves — these were distributed to 1, 455 affected families in Laguna and Pampanga. During his first term as a senator in 2009, Chairman Gordon authored the Republic Act No. 9803 (RA9803) or the Food Donation Act of 2009, which aims to address the country’s growing hunger problem and bring dignity back to the most vulnerable simultaneously.

Since 28 October, PRC has positioned relief assets and equipment, such as payloaders, water tankers, and food trucks to Paeng-affected communities. PRC staff and volunteers are monitoring the affected families’ further needs for food, safe water, clothing, shelter, hygiene, sanitation, and medical and psychosocial care.

As residents evacuated their homes due to rampaging floodwaters that hit the eastern part of Cagayan De Oro last Sunday afternoon, October 16, 2022, the Philippine Red Cross immediately deployed personnel and assets to help families whose houses were submerged, swept away, or completely destroyed by flood waters.


“Nagdeploy agad kami ng aming 6×6 rescue truck sa area para tumulong sa pag-evacuate, binisita namin ang mga evacuation centers at nagpadala rin kami ng aming food truck na may dalang bagong luto at mainit na pagkain. Dalawang daang katao sa Bugo National High School ang nabigyan namin ng pagkain,” said PRC Chairman and CEO Richard J. Gordon.


According to the PRC’s assessment team, 1,532 families were affected by the rampaging floodwaters, damaging 360 houses and taking the life of at least one person.


PRC also plans to distribute non-food items to help 340 families affected by the flooding in Brgy Bago.

Mandaluyong City — In a luncheon meeting today, Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman and CEO Richard J. Gordon recognized the contribution of the Australian government to PRC, particularly its COVID-19 response operations, and honored Australia’s outgoing ambassador to the Philippines, His Excellency Steven J. Robinson.

In his speech, Gordon acknowledged Australia for its support in the timely establishment of the PRC molecular laboratory in Port Area, Manila, the largest of its kind in the Philippines. The laboratory was set up in June 2020, three months after the WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic and the Philippine government declared a community quarantine in the National Capital Region. 

Gordon noted that Australia was also one of the first to donate negative-pressure ambulance units to the PRC, which are designed for transporting patients with contagious diseases, such as COVID patients. Gordon also thanked the Australian embassy for donating a Hyundai HD65-based food truck, which is part of PRC’s Hot Meals on Wheels Program, one of PRC’s interventions in disaster-affected communities.

The objective of the friendship between Australia and the Philippines, according to Gordon, is “to make sure we succeed in our effort to alleviate human suffering.” “We got a friendship we will never forget,” he said.

In his response, Ambassador Robinson acknowledged the Australian Agency for International Development for making the accomplishments possible and described the camaraderie between the PRC and the Australian Embassy as “intense.”

Also present during the event were Her Excellency Monica van Daalen, ambassador of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands; Counselor Thanh Le of the Embassy of Australia; Mr. Julian Tollestrup, First Secretary at the New Zealand Embassy; Mr. Gopal Mukherjee of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; Nathan Ramalingompillai of the German Red Cross; Paul Anthony Drossou of the Netherlands Red Cross; Megan Kate Lilley of the Finnish Red Cross; and PRC officials.

As of 8:00 am today, June 8, 2022, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has deployed volunteers and members of its basic services teams to Juban, Sorsogon, in the wake of Mt. Bulusan’s eruption last Sunday, June 5.

The PRC Welfare Services Team, which set up two Welfare Desks, provided psychosocial first aid (PFA) to 699 adults and child-friendly activities designed as PFA to 76 children who fled the Mt. Bulusan eruption. A PRC food truck, called Hot Meals on Wheels, was deployed when the volcano erupted on Sunday, June 5, and has served hot meals to 714 individuals as of 8:00 am today.

The PRC Safety Services Team, which sent one ambulance unit with trained emergency medical services personnel, set up one First Aid station and is on standby to treat and transport patients to medical facilities if needed. The team has served 59 individuals who had their blood pressure taken and has treated three patients for minor injuries. The Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Unit has conducted a hygiene promotion activity for 136 individuals. 

PRC Chairman and CEO, Senator Richard J. Gordon, is monitoring the situation in Juban and providing the necessary directions to PRC volunteers and staff. “Ang Philippine Red Cross volunteers at staff ay may kasanayan at laging handang rumesponde sa ating mga kababayan sa ganitong mga oras ng emergency,” Chairman Gordon said.M

Philippine Red Cross responds to Mindano Flooding

True to its mantra of “volunteers + logistics + information technology = a Red Cross that is always first, always ready, always there,” PRC Chairman and CEO Sen. Dick Gordon, acting on information provided by its volunteers in the field, immediately deployed volunteers, staff, and resources to assist those affected by the floods in Sarangani and Davao de Oro. “Ang Philippine Red Cross ay walang humpay at laging handang sumaklolo sa ating mga kababayan sa anumang kalamidad,” PRC Chairman Gordon said.

The PRC provided hot meals to 350 persons, as well as psychosocial support and child-friendly space in Barangay Kawas, municipality of Alabel, Sarangani on the evening of April 4. PRC also sent a water search and rescue (WASAR) team and equipment to Barangay Lagab, Compostela, Davao de Oro on April 6.

The flooding incidents, which were knee-deep in Sarangani and about three to four feet in Davao De Oro, were caused by continuous rains. PRC operations started as early as the evening of April 4 in Sarangani and 3:00 am on April 6 in Davao de Oro. PRC continues its response today, in coordination with local government units.

More than 30 families — approximately 160 persons — in nine barangays in Alabel are affected, according to early estimates. In Davao de Oro, three municipalities are affected: Compostela, Nabunturan, and Monkayo. PRC will continue monitoring conditions in these areas and provide further support as needed.

Philippine Red Cross

Born officially in 1947, but with roots that traces back to the revolutionary days, the Philippine Red Cross has truly become the premier humanitarian organization in the country, committed to provide quality life-saving services that protect the life and dignity especially of indigent Filipinos in vulnerable situations.

Address: 37 EDSA corner Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City 1550
Emergency Hotline: 143
Trunkline +63 2 8790 2300
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