The challenges brought by the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic did not deter the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) from being at the forefront of emergency response.
In the aftermath of severe tropical storm “Maring,” PRC immediately extended assistance to the affected areas such as the province of La Union.
On Wednesday, Oct. 13, staff and volunteers of PRC La Union Chapter prepared hot meals targeting 200 affected individuals in the Municipality of Luna.
“The Red Cross is the lifeline of the people kaya laging kaming handa (that’s why we’re always ready),” said PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Senator Dick Gordon.
“Patuloy ang aming pagresponde sa mga kalamidad dahil ang (We continue to respond during calamities because) Red Cross has always been first, always ready, and always here,” he added.
PRC La Union Chapter Service Representative Bartolome Reyes said that two teams of volunteers from the chapter were already deployed.
“The first team will distribute hot meals composed of four volunteers, while the other is assigned to assess the situation in the municipalities of Luna and Bangar,” Reyes said.
During the onslaught of “Maring,” the PRC National Headquarters also deployed a humanitarian caravan to to further boost its response.
The humanitarian caravan, which was estimated to arrive at the La Union Chapter at around 4 p.m. on Oct. 13, aims to immediate assistance to the affected residents.
PRC deployed 10 responders and assets including a 6x6 truck, a rescue boat, a command post, a rescue vehicle, a food truck, food items such as ten 35kg sacks of rice, one hundred cans of sardines, one hundred cans of beef loaf, and one hundred cans of tuna.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2021/10/12/ph-red-cross-sends-humanitarian-caravan-to-la-union-aid-to-other-maring-affected-areas/
The humanitarian caravan is one of PRC’s first responses to provide immediate assistance to communities affected by typhoons, disasters, calamities, and conflicts.