PH Red Cross sponsors 12 UP College of Medicine students
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) set aside funds for the scholarships of 12 students at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine (UPCM) in Manila.

In a statement released on Friday, Oct. 27, PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Richard Gordon expressed concern about the lack of medical professionals in the nation.
He is hopeful that the scholarships would assist in meeting this need.
“We need doctors, principled doctors. We hope that through the scholarship grants, we can help address this issue and have more doctors for Filipinos,” Gordon said.
According to UPCM Dean Dr. Charlotte Chiong, the scholarship grants are by far the largest available to medical students at the institution.
“It took only a call to [former] Senator Gordon during the pandemic, and he granted us 12, more than the 10 we requested PRC to sponsor,” she added.
Chiong, who also worked on the pioneering team that investigated the quickest method to identify Covid-19 infection, also encouraged scholars to “think fast, act fast, but with integrity” as she talked about the PRC’s response.
“We did not have shortcuts. We just worked fast. That is the kind of response of PRC,” Chiong said.
Furthermore, PRC Secretary-General Dr. Gwen Pang invited the scholars to visit and observe PRC operations and human services on a regular basis, urging them to “be the champion, the advocate, the walking advertisement of PRC” and “make PRC a platform for humanitarian pursuits.”
The scholarship grants, which covered all necessary costs, including tuition, student and laboratory fees, miscellaneous fees, and living allowances, lessened the financial burden on the students as they pursued their medical degrees.
Of the 12 grant recipients, four will graduate in 2025, and the remaining eight in 2027.