The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Richard Gordon were commended by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for the organization's innovative crisis response and community-level services.
“The innovations you have spearheaded at the Philippine Red Cross’s headquarters and in your response capacity are remarkable,” said ICRC Vice President Gilles Carbonnier in a letter dated Dec. 15 addressed to Gordon.
Carbonnier visited General Santos City last month to see the Covid-19 “Bakuna Bus” operations of the PRC. “The visit to General Santos City allowed me to see for myself how a local chapter delivered services in its community. Your staff and volunteers' tireless work are commendable,” he added.
The PRC and ICRC, Carbonnier said, showed the importance of continually adapting to the ever-changing landscape of humanitarian action.
“At the ICRC, we are delighted to enjoy such a fruitful partnership with your National Society . I am sure, as I emphasized during my visit, that we shall continue to work well together to deliver on our humanitarian mission in the Philippines,” he added.
As of October 2022, the PRC's “Bakuna Buses” and “Bakuna Centers” with “Bakuna Teams” in partnership with ICRC, have administered a total of 325, 066 vaccines — 76, 876 individuals fully vaccinated and 51,238 persons boosted — in the region of Mindanao.
Meanwhile, Gordon assured that PRC will continue to strengthen the efforts of the country’s foremost humanitarian organization.
“Our mantra of ‘Volunteers + Logistics + Information Technology = A Red Cross that is Always First, Always Ready, and Always There" serves as a guide for us as we continue to serve humanity,” Gordon said.
“We shall keep strengthening the localization of our humanitarian responses to provide more efficient services to our most vulnerable people,” he added.