PH Red Cross, partners to deploy 1K personnel nationwide for BSKE on Oct. 30
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and the Department of Health (DOH) to ensure the safety and well-being of voters at the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) across the country.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Oct. 28, the PRC announced the organization is set to deploy 1,000 emergency medical services (EMS) personnel and volunteers nationwide to respond to medical emergencies.
The EMS personnel will operate PRC first aid stations, EMS mobile units, EMS foot patrols, and ambulance units within the premises of voting precincts during election day.
PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Richard "Dick" Gordon emphasized the importance of having standby EMS personnel and ambulances at every large gathering.
“That is essential. We would rather have these provisions and not need them, rather than need them and not have them,” Gordon said.
PRC Secretary-General Dr. Gwen Pang signed the agreement on Oct. 27 with COMELEC Chairman George Erwin Garcia and DOH Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Dr. Gloria Balboa.
During the event, Pang described the PRC’s preparations for the upcoming elections as “extensive and comprehensive.”
“It does not have to be a national election for us to do this because even in the BSK election, we maintain the same high level of preparedness,” she said.
Meanwhile, Garcia acknowledged that previous elections were successful because of the contributions of the PRC and DOH.
The PRC EMS Teams previously served 8,000 patients during the May 9, 2022 national and local elections.