MANDALUYONG CITY -- The Philippine Red Cross has joined forces with the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) in conducting a bloodletting activity and helping replenish the blood reserves in the country on January 20, 2023 at the PCSO Head Office, Shaw Blvd, Mandaluyong City. A total of 83 blood units were generated from the activity.
Blood donation is essential because it helps patients survive pregnancy complications, dengue, accident injuries, and surgical and cancer treatment. PRC maintains a steady supply of blood products from the generosity of its donors and blood-letting activities that gather these donors.
"Ang dugo ay hindi pwedeng i-manufacture ng tao. Tanging mga donasyon ng dugo ang maaari lamang pagkuhanan ng dugo ng mga nangangailangan nito. Kung kaya't nagpapasalamat ako sa mga donors at partners natin kagaya ng PCSO sa ilang taon nilang pakikipagtulungan sa Philippine Red Cross sa pagsasagawa ng ganitong blood donation activity. Ang dugo na makukuha natin mula sa activity na ito ay para sa lahat ng Pilipino," said PRC Chairman and CEO Richard J. Gordon.
PRC Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang encouraged the public to donate blood and reiterated the importance of donating blood.
“Ang samahan po ng Philippine Red Cross at PCSO ay napakalakas, napakatibay at napakatagal na po. Ngayon nga po ay mayroon tayong bloodletting activity kasama ang PCSO kung saan hinihikayat natin ang publiko na mag-donate ng dugo dahil araw-araw ang pangangailangan sa dugo ng mga tao. Ang isang bag ng dugo po na ibibigay ninyo ay maglalaman ng iba’t ibang blood components [i.e., red cells, platelets, plasma] na maaaring magsalba sa buhay ng tatlo o higit pang tao depende sa kung anong blood component ang kailangan ng kanilang kondisyon,” said Secretary General Pang.
PCSO General Manager Melquiades Robles, meanwhile, mentioned that PCSO’s reason for partnering with and supporting PRC’s blood donation activities is because of their “parallel and aligned mission” of helping people. The PCSO is a longtime member of PRC’s Blood Samaritan Program, a program that aims to seek kind-hearted individuals and groups that are willing to provide financial donations to cover the payment of blood processing fees of indigent patients.
From January 1 to December 31, 2022, the PRC National Blood Services collected 448, 928 units of blood from 400, 955 donors. As of 18 January 2023, the PRC dispensed 13, 938 units of blood.
For blood donations, blood requests, and other inquiries, email the PRC National Blood Services at nbs.recruitment@redcross.org.ph or contact the PRC Blood Call Center, which may be reached nationwide by dialing 143. (Philippine Red Cross)
