The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Cagayan de Oro Chapter swiftly responded to the needs of stranded passengers of a Cebu-bound ship that tilted due to strong winds and heavy waves.
In a statement on Tuesday, Nov. 14, the PRC said that upon receiving reports of the incident, PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Richard Gordon immediately directed the deployment of the its ambulance team to Macabalan Port to provide pre-hospital treatment to passengers.
The humanitarian organization assured that all passengers safely disembarked from the ship, operated by Cokaliong Shipping Lines, at the port of Cagayan de Oro shortly after the incident occurred on Nov. 12.
The PRC's food truck and volunteers from the PRC Cagayan de Oro Chapter provided hot meals to 125 passengers and food packs to 129 passengers.
Its first aid and welfare stations also offered medical attention to seven passengers, one of whom had a sprained ankle, and two passengers received psychological first aid.
In a similar incident on Oct. 7, the PRC said it dispatched two ambulance units to assist in the disembarkation of a passenger vessel that is also operated by Cokaliong Shipping Lines.
Gordon reminded all ship operators to prioritize the safety of their passengers and to take all necessary precautions to prevent such incidents from happening.