MANDALUYONG CITY -- The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is the beneficiary of equipment worth Php 4.5 million from the Canadian Red Cross (CRC) through the Philippines Development Project, locally known as CA-ANAK.

An official handover ceremony was held at the PRC Tower today in Mandaluyong City, with PRC receiving a brand new Hot Meals Truck together with three (3) high-end satellite phones, water rescue equipment, and twenty (20) sets of Child-Friendly Space Toolkits through CA-ANAK.

The equipment handover is the culmination of a five-year partnership, starting in 2017, between PRC and its Canadian counterpart to provide a disaster risk reduction, health, and first aid program to PRC National Headquarters and selected Chapters.

It is a long-term development project with the ultimate goal of reducing health and disaster risks within the community.

Among the beneficiaries include the PRC chapters within Capiz, Antique, and Aklan.

"The Philippines, not just the Philippine Red Cross, is fortunate to have friends from the Canadian Red Cross. The fruits of the CA-ANAK Project will surely prepare our countrymen in times of disasters and health emergencies", said PRC Chairman and CEO, Senator Richard J. Gordon.

"It is important that our communities are prepared, just like Red Cross, dapat Always First, Always Ready, and Always There," he added.

Among the attendees of the handover ceremony were Senator Gordon, PRC Secretary General Elizabeth Zavalla, Assistant Secretary Generals Ramon Murillo and Dr. Christie Monina Nalupta, CRC Country Representative Miden Milicevic, and CRS Senior Advisor Wartini Pranama.

The PhP 4.5 million worth of equipment is part of the more than PhP 110 million grant by the Canadian Red Cross for the five-year project. The CA-ANAK project started to prepare communities to the risks brought by Typhoon Yolanda. (Philippine Re Cross)