By Jel Santos
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is celebrating its 72nd anniversary on Monday, April 15.
Richard Gordon, PRC chairman, said they are currently putting more emphasis on PRC’s regionalization approach, where the organization’s assets will be strategically positioned in different provinces to conduct faster response in times of disasters and emergencies.
“The humanitarian challenges that our country faces are getting more challenging. Typhoons are getting stronger and the emergencies are getting more rampant. There is a strong call to step up humanitarian aid. We have to make sure that we continue to hone our capabilities,” he said.
PRC has recently identified 12 regional hubs namely La Union, Nueva Vizcaya, Subic, Batangas, Naga, Albay, Leyte, Passi City, Zamboanga City, Davao del Sur, Iligan, and Surigao del Norte.
These regional hubs will have ambulances, water tankers, rescue equipment and other assets that aim to bring PRC services closer to local communities. These services include welfare desks and health stations.
“Ultimately, regionalization efforts will help the country in terms of molding every barangay into resilient communities. When you have these capacities, you have the power to predict, plan, prepare, and practice,” the PRC chairman said.
PRC’s 72nd anniversary theme is “#Resilience: Humanitarian responders over the years,” which celebrates over seven decades of empowering communities to rise up from the impact of calamities.
Aside from community resilience, the theme also recognizes volunteers, staff, partners, and donors who have served as the backbone of PRC since it was founded in 1947.