MANDALUYONG CITY -- The Philippine Red Cross(PRC), led by Chairman and CEO Senator Dick Gordon, continues to boost its services in every corner of the country as they stay true to their mantra of being Always First, Always Ready, and Always There. A prime example of this is their timely and efficient response in Iloilo that doesn't stop despite the challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Highlighting the numerous accomplishments of the PRC in Iloilo, Gordon said, " We have always been strong in responding to COVID-19. The island of Panay has achieved another milestone as the only PRC Molecular Laboratory on the island located at Passi, Iloilo has now tested 21,055 individuals since it opened last January 22, 2021."

Apart from testing, the PRC Iloilo Chapter also supports the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination program," With our partner, Ceres Liner, the Red Cross has now inoculated 12,729 individuals through the Bakuna Bus bringing us closer to what we call population protection or herd immunity," added Gordon.

Gordon emphasizes that the strength of our Red Cross volunteers and staff goes way beyond our COVID-19 initiatives, " All our Red Cross services will always be fully involved in responding to the challenges of the times."

As the country's premier humanitarian organization responds to every emergency and disaster, last 2020, they have collected 22,435 units of blood and dispensed 20,376 units through the PRC Iloilo Blood Center achieving a performance of 78 percent. The PRC has also built over 6,609 houses for those affected by past typhoons and other disasters.

" As the Red Cross, Our hearts are for our country, and every day we continue to strive hard to reach out, especially to the most vulnerable," Gordon said in a statement. (Philippine Red Cross)